The material within the collection details Mr. Whitlock’s activities as Chairman of the Stone Church Annexation Committee in the mid 1960’s. The area around the historical Old Stone Church and surrounding community was located in Oconee County prior to the annexation. The collection chronicles what in essence was a small community’s effort to choose where their children attended school.

The Old Stone Church children had traditionally attended Pickens County schools, despite the fact that these residents lived in Oconee County. A temporary agreement had been in place, where by Old Stone Church residents would pay Pickens County school taxes, while paying county land taxes to Oconee. Many parents were never fully comfortable with this solution, since continuation in Pickens county schools was never truly certain. National events in the form of the Federal Civil Rights and desegregation laws in effect voided this agreement. African Americans who were bused to Easley schools would now attend Daniel High School, which would force Old Stone Church children to abruptly move to Oconee County schools. A solution could not be reached with either school district in terms of where these Stone Church residents should attend, so annexation was seen as means for permanent solution.

Not only was a small community’s question of location at stake, but that of the Excelsior Finishing plant and Clemson University as well. The option of annexation was voted upon, and was granted by the people’s positive consent. However, legal action was sought by Oconee County in order to stop the move. Though the vote to annex was taken in 1966, the final approval of the move did not take place until 1968, having been held up by legal issues. The information reveals how local political issues can impact communities in both positive and negative ways. Also highlighted is the media’s role in such circumstances. Speeches, memos and correspondence, newspaper clippings, press releases, and photographs are collected here in order to document the event.

Besides material on the Stone Church Annexation, some information pertains to a similar situation that occurred in 1982 regarding school district lines in the Dellwood subdivision near the city of Clemson. Though Dellwood resident Dr. W. David Maxwell provided this information, the correspondence reveals that James P. Whitlock’s expert advice was sought in this situation.