The collection contains material relating the history of Clemson Agricultural College from its conception by Thomas G. Clemson in the 1880’s to its designation as a University under President Robert C. Edwards in the early 1960’s. It includes correspondence of James Corcoran Littlejohn, Walter Merritt Riggs, Henry Hartzog, Robert Franklin Poole, Robert Cook Edwards, Rupert Fike and other individuals prominent in the history of Clemson University. The material was compiled and created by Littlejohn and organized by his secretary, Mary Ritchie, as the research material for a history of Clemson College which he intended to write. As such, its organization has some of the characteristics of a narrative history. Littlejohn’s writings on the history of Clemson College were supplemented by a great deal of research material which includes both printed items and some correspondence.

There is extensive documentation dealing with Thomas G. Clemson and his relationship with the Calhoun family; the will which established Clemson as a land-grant college and military academy; the court battles which surrounded its founding in 1889; and the growth of Clemson to the early 1960’s. Prominent in the records is the role of Senator Benjamin R. Tillman, who promoted Clemson as an institution for the betterment of the farmers of South Carolina.

The collection also includes information on the college itself, its facilities and curricula. Items of particular interest include an annotated holograph copy of the Code of Ordinances drawn up by the Board of Trustees in 1900; an essay on industrial education written by Clemson’s first history professor, William S. Morrison, in 1906; and a file of clippings recounting Clemson’s early years as a football power. The material on Clemson College pays particular attention to the presidents, trustees, and buildings. Also of value is an extensive clippings file on the construction of the Hartwell Dam and its immediate impact on Clemson.

The collection includes various typescript drafts of parts of the narrative history of Clemson. Among these are “The Story of the Fort Hill Lands”, “The Story of the Clemson Bequest” and “Mr. Clemson’s Dream Becomes Reality–Almost” by Professor Charles M. McGee. Littlejohn’s correspondence file sheds light on how he administered the college’s finances, as well as aspects of his personal life. Finally, the papers contain an alphabetical listing of faculty and prominent employees of Clemson College from 1908-1945.

An important component of the Littlejohn collection is its photographs, many of which are unique. The subjects of photos parallel the scope and content of the papers, and include candid shots of Thomas Clemson; portraits of Clemson’s presidents and trustees; and photos documenting the construction and destruction of many campus buildings.