IN A CLASS OF THEIR OWN - A special tribute to our 2020 graduates - USC Upstate

Page created by Ellen Cox
 
CONTINUE READING
IN A CLASS OF THEIR OWN - A special tribute to our 2020 graduates - USC Upstate
A magazine for alumni and friends of the
                                                  University of South Carolina Upstate
                                                  SPRING 2020

                                                  IN A CLASS OF
                                                  THEIR OWN
                                                  A special tribute to our
                                                  2020 graduates

     Drone Wars         Homespun History                 Looking Ahead
How an army in the        What a mill can teach            A glimpse of the
sky could fight fires    us about a community           campus of the future
IN A CLASS OF THEIR OWN - A special tribute to our 2020 graduates - USC Upstate
This summer, we're offering more than
                      300 classes taught entirely online by
                                   our world-class faculty.
                             Stay UP and running this
                             summer at USC Upstate!

@uscupstate   @USCUpstate     usc_upstate   www.uscupstate.edu/summer
IN A CLASS OF THEIR OWN - A special tribute to our 2020 graduates - USC Upstate
UP Magazine
                                                                                                                                                                                                               SPRING 2020
                                                                                                 10 / New Leadership                                                                                          Volume 2, Issue 1
                                                                                                 Nick Gaffney named Director of
                                                                                                 Center for African American Studies                                                              A magazine for alumni and friends of the
                                                                                                                                                                                                   University of South Carolina Upstate

                                                                                                                                                                                                             MANAGING EDITOR
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Jessica Blais

                                                                                                                                                                                                            ASSOCIATE EDITORS
                                                                                                                                                                                                              Elizabeth Anderson
                                                                                                                                                                                                               Trevor Anderson

                                                                                                                                                                                                                   DESIGN
                                                                                                                                                                                                               Bridget Kirkland
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Hannah West
                                                                                                                                                                                                                Veronica Quick

                                                                                                                                                                                                               PHOTOGRAPHY
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Les Duggins

26 / History Lessons                                                                             50 / Team Effort                                                                                               WEB DESIGN

Archivist preserves Upstate ’s past                                                              Ingles, USC Upstate partnership built                                                                         Eric Swearengin
                                                                                                                                                                                                               Brandon Vanover
                                                                                                 on shared goals
                                                                                                                                                                                                          MULTIMEDIA PRODUCER
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Javier Rivera

A Letter From the Chancellor  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2                      ATHLETICS

                                                                                                 Spartan Standouts
INSTITUTIONAL NEWS
                                                                                                 Inducted Into Hall of Fame  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  34                                  CONTACT US
                                                                                                                                                                                                            UMC@uscupstate.edu
New Master Plan Reveals Promising Future . . . . . . 4                                           Sports Highlights  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  36
Housing Options Grow Near Campus . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5                                     Athletics Honors Donors  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  38
                                                                                                                                                                                                             MAILING ADDRESS
Schecter Joins USC Upstate as Provost . . . . . . . . . . 6                                                                                                                                                  ATTN: UP Magazine
                                                                                                 ADVANCEMENT                                                                                       University Marketing and Communications
New Programs Reflect Employer Needs . . . . . . . . . . 6
                                                                                                 Jolley Takes Leadership                                                                                      800 University Way
Picture Perfect  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
                                                                                                 Role with USC Upstate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  40                      Spartanburg, South Carolina 29303

                                                                                                 Alumni News
FEATURES                                                                                                                                                                                    UP Magazine is published by the USC Upstate Office
                                                                                                        Young Alumni Honored . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  41
A Stitch in Time:                                                                                                                                                                           of University Advancement. Diverse views appear in
                                                                                                        Homecoming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  42
History Lessons From a Mill  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  12                                                                                                                  these pages and do not necessarily reflect the views of
                                                                                                        Scholarship Luncheon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  44
Threading the Needle:                                                                                                                                                                       the editors or the official policies of the University.
                                                                                                        Alumni Luncheons  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  45
Local Textile Firms Adapt and Thrive . . . . . . . . . . . .  18
                                                                                                 Founders Day Celebration  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  46
Drone Wars: How an
Army in the Sky Could Fight Fires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  26
                                                                                                 SPECIAL SECTION

CAMPUS HIGHLIGHTS                                                                                Upstate Honors the Class of 2020 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Colleges Come Together
                                                                                                 CLIF'S NOTES
on New Dual Degree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  28
USC Takes Note of                                                                                Provost Says Farewell  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  56
Commercial Music Professor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  30

                                                                                                                                                                                                           uscupstate.edu/magazine Spring 2020    |1
IN A CLASS OF THEIR OWN - A special tribute to our 2020 graduates - USC Upstate
ADMINISTRATION                                            Letter from
    J. Derham Cole, Jr., J.D.
    Interim Chancellor                                        THE CHANCELLOR
    Clif Flynn, Ph.D.
    Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
    David Schecter, Ph.D.
    Incoming Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor for              At the risk of overusing a term,          While I am confident we will soon
    Academic Affairs
                                                              “unprecedented” seems to best             return to a time when we can gather
    Daniel Feig, J.D.
    Director of Athletics and
                                                              describe the challenges we’ve faced       together safely, we must honor the
    Vice Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics             this semester as a campus                 Class of 2020 in new ways, paying
    Kimberly Jolley                                           community and as a nation. The            tribute to the resilience they have
    Interim Vice Chancellor for University Advancement and    COVID-19 pandemic is, indeed,             demonstrated this spring. In this issue
    Executive Director of University Foundations              unprecedented. It has changed the         of UP Magazine, we have included a
    Robert Katz, Ph.D.                                        way we operate. It has changed the        special section dedicated to all those
    Interim Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Dean of   way we communicate. It has changed        who would have celebrated
    Students
                                                              the way we do just about everything,      Commencement with their families on
    Donette Stewart
    Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Services
                                                              from shopping for groceries to            the quad in May. We feature some
                                                              earning a college degree.                 students whose memories of their
    Sheryl Turner-Watts
    Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration               But from this mysterious, perplexing   time on campus will inspire those
    Alphonso Atkins, Jr., J.D.
                                                              time, I have seen change that will,       who follow.
    Chief Diversity Officer and EO/Title IX Coordinator       undoubtedly, make our university and         Our stories of student achievement
    Jessica Blais                                             the world a better place. I have seen     have not changed. We are proud to be
    Associate Vice Chancellor for                             faculty and students make a shift to      graduating teachers who have learned
    Strategic Communications and Marketing                    remote teaching and learning,             out of necessity to be nimble in the
    Adam Long                                                 enhancing our preparedness for an         ways they share knowledge with their
    Chief Information Officer
                                                              uncertain future. We have gained          students, many of whom are learning
    Stacey Mills                                              invaluable experience in how to           online for the first time. Our new
    Assistant Vice Chancellor for Regional Engagement and
    Executive Director of USC Upstate Greenville Campus
                                                              ensure the safety of our campus           nurses enter the profession at a time
                                                              community under the most trying of        when they have never been needed or
    Kim Purdy, Ph.D.
    Dean of University College and                            circumstances, working closely with       admired more. And due in part to this
    Assistant Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs            federal and state health organizations.   pandemic, young psychologists and
    Khrystal Smith, Ph.D.                                     And we have come together as              entrepreneurs may have come to
    Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Engagement and      professionals, colleagues and             know firsthand how much their work
    Retention Initiatives
                                                              mentors in ways perhaps only a crisis     matters. We are so proud of the Class
    Pam Steinke, Ph.D.                                        can spark—all in the best interest of     of 2020. They have already overcome
    Vice Provost and Associate Vice Chancellor for
    Academic Affairs                                          this university and the students and      adversity of historical magnitude, and
                                                              communities we serve.                     their experience will prepare them to

2   |   UP Magazine
IN A CLASS OF THEIR OWN - A special tribute to our 2020 graduates - USC Upstate
SPARTANBURG COUNTY
                                                                                                          COMMISSION FOR
                                                                                                        HIGHER EDUCATION

                                                                                                                            Vic Bailey III
                                                                                                                   Dr. David Church, '92
                                                                                                                          Bill Cobb, '74
meet myriad challenges in the future.      partner in the community, joins USC                                            Patrick Cutler
   Our faculty continue to shine           Upstate to lead our foundation and                                         Dr. David Eubanks
despite these challenging times. In        fundraising initiatives. And, Dr. David                                           Anne Flynn
this issue, you will read about several    Schecter takes the reins as provost,                                      Dr. Ron Garner, '94
of our professors who are awaiting a       as Dr. Clif Flynn begins to enjoy                                                Scott Heath
decision on a prestigious grant from       retirement, a well-deserved respite                                                Ben Hines
the National Endowment for the             after serving USC Upstate for more                                           Jason Maertens
Humanities (NEH). This is a timely,        than 32 years.                                                                Cathy McCabe
exciting project that puts                    It is an honor and a privilege to                                           Ryan McCarty
Spartanburg’s rich history as a mill       serve as Interim Chancellor. Together,                                        Harold McClain
town into the spotlight, one that          we will continue on our upward                                                  Eddie Payne

illuminates the talent of this team and    trajectory to achieve new levels of                                           Chip Smith, '78
                                                                                                                           John Travers
the role we can all play in teaching the   educational excellence.
                                                                                                                          Tommy Young
past to improve the future. You will
also read why Dr. Nolan Stolz was
                                                                                                                       EX-OFFICIO
named a Breakthrough Star for 2020
                                                                                                                            Toney Lister
by our flagship university, the
                                                                                                         USC System Board of Trustees
University of South Carolina, and you
will be charmed by a story of              J. Derham Cole, Jr., J.D.                                                        EMERITI
friendship that spans more than 40         Interim Chancellor                                                             Charles Babb
years and ends with Dr. Lynette                                                                                      Jane Bottsford, '69
Gibson helping to develop an online                                                                                       Jim Smith '72
program for nurses in Bermuda. You
will learn about a new partnership
between the university and Ingles
Markets, one that has already
benefitted students who have found
these times particularly difficult.
   Finally, we introduce you to some         USC Upstate bid farewell to Chancellor Brendan
new Spartans and say goodbye to            Kelly in February. His portrait, pictured above right,
others. Kimberly Jolley, a longtime           now hangs in the Administration building lobby.

                                                                                                    uscupstate.edu/magazine Spring 2020   |3
IN A CLASS OF THEIR OWN - A special tribute to our 2020 graduates - USC Upstate
INSTITUTIONAL NEWS

    New Master Plan Reveals Promising Future
    As part of its annual Founders Day         Chancellor J. Derham Cole, Jr.             hundreds of USC Upstate graduates.
    ceremony, USC Upstate unveiled a           “The plan will require continued              Other features are dedicated alumni
    new Master Plan that illustrates the       collaboration among university,            and athletic performance centers, and
    potential for growth on campus. The        community and government leaders,          a convocation center that could serve
    plan is intended to be implemented         and I am committed to being USC            as an asset to the entire county, while
    over an extensive period of time –         Upstate’s advocate in that dialogue.”      also providing the university with an
    between five and 20 years – and               The future calls for a number of new    essential meeting and event venue. As
    includes short-, mid- and long-term        buildings, including a much-needed         with the other large-scale projects, a
    projects. The proposed plan will           annex for the library and an expansion     convocation center would be done in
    enhance the natural topography of the      of the Olin B. Sansbury, Jr. Campus Life   partnership with state, county and
    330-acre campus, leveraging                Center, both of which would provide        corporate leaders.
    landscaping and water features, while      critical gathering spaces for students.       The plan was developed over a series
    placing buildings in locations that will      The proposed plan also includes a       of months by the national firm
    maximize the campus experience for         new nursing building for the Mary          SmithGroup, with input from faculty,
    students, faculty, staff and visitors.     Black School of Nursing, one of the        staff, students and key community
      “The Master Plan marks the               largest programs in the state, to be       stakeholders. “This was a collaborative
    beginning of an exciting new chapter       completed in partnership with the          process,” says Cole. “Together, we have
    for USC Upstate,” says Interim             health care providers who employ           developed a vision for the future.”

4   |   UP Magazine
IN A CLASS OF THEIR OWN - A special tribute to our 2020 graduates - USC Upstate
Housing Options Grow
     Near Campus
      A new apartment complex, and an                         Valley Falls Apartments, a luxury
      expansion at an existing one, will soon              apartment community located just
      increase off-campus housing options                  behind USC Upstate at 510 Sparta Lane,
      for USC Upstate students and energize                is undergoing an expansion that will add
      the university’s ambitious Master Plan,              350 private bedspaces to its inventory of
      which seeks to deliver state-of-the-art              fully furnished units.
      facilities that accommodate enrollment                  The community already boasts a
      growth and new programs in the years                 number of amenities, including access
      to come.                                             to a small lake, a saltwater swimming
         Auden Upstate, a $28 million upscale              pool with a sundeck, 24-hour fitness
      housing community at 602 Laconia                     center, a sand volleyball court, fully
      Circle, just off North Campus                        equipped computer lab and clubhouse
      Boulevard, is nearing completion.                    with free Wi-Fi. The additional units are
      Leasing is now open for the                          anticipated to become available in 2021.
      94,000-square-foot development,                         “We are absolutely thrilled that these
      owned by New York-based DMG                          new housing options for students will be
      Investments. Residents will begin                    coming online soon,” said Donette
      moving in this August.                               Stewart, vice chancellor for Enrollment
         The community features 486 private                Services at USC Upstate. “Investments
      bedspaces, with a bathroom and walk-                 like this improve the college experience
      in closet for each. Other amenities                  for USC Upstate students and help us to
      include a resort-style pool, basketball              continue to build momentum behind the
      and volleyball courts, a 24-hour fitness             dynamic growth set forth in our new
      club, hammock garden, study rooms                    Master Plan.”
      and a pet grooming station.

Expanding the Campus Life Center would include creating
              additional greenspace around the building.

                                                                      uscupstate.edu/magazine Spring 2020   |5
IN A CLASS OF THEIR OWN - A special tribute to our 2020 graduates - USC Upstate
Schecter
    Joins USC
    Upstate as
    Provost                                                                                DAVID PHOTO

    Following a national search, David
    Schecter joined USC Upstate this
    spring as its new provost and senior
    vice chancellor for Academic Affairs.
    Most recently, Schecter served as vice
    provost at California State University
    — Bakersfield (CSUB). Prior to that, he
    was with Fresno State, also part of the
    California State University System.
      “Dr. Schecter brings to USC Upstate
    a deep understanding of our strategic
    objectives and distinct mission to
    serve the region,” said Provost Clif
    Flynn, who will retire this summer after
    32 years of service at USC Upstate.
    “His work in California over the last 19
    years prepares him well to meet the
    goals of academic excellence we have
    established here.”
      At CSUB, Schecter worked closely         truly a campus on the move, with               provides powerful tools and techniques
    with partners across campus,               terrific faculty and staff showing a           that allow leaders to convert massive
    providing oversight for a number of        tremendous commitment to student               amounts of data into insights that can
    corollary units within Academic Affairs,   success. I could not be more excited           lead to more informed decisions,” says
    including the Office of Research and       about this opportunity to serve.”              Uma Gupta, director of the program.
    Grants and the Kegley Institute of                                                        “Our program, which was developed
    Ethics. He coordinated and led all                                                        with key corporate partners, comes at
    tenure-track hiring efforts on campus.     New Programs Reflect                           a time when the demand for analytics
    During his years at Fresno State, he                                                      professionals far outweighs the supply.
    served as the department chair for
                                               Employer Needs                                 And that translates into opportunity for
    political science and was the recipient       As part of its continuing efforts to        our students.”
    of the Provost’s Award for Faculty         meet the changing landscape of higher             Similarly, USC Upstate recently
    Service, among other accolades.            education and serve an evolving                partnered with seven regional school
      A Florida native, Schecter holds a       population of students, USC Upstate            districts to create an online M.Ed. in
    bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary     has developed new programs in direct           applied learning and instruction that
    studies and history from Florida State     response to industry need.                     enables working teachers to pursue a
    University, a master’s degree in              In the fall, USC Upstate launched a         master’s degree. To date, more than
    political science from Florida State       master’s degree in business analytics          325 Upstate teachers are enrolled in
    University, and a Ph.D. in political       at the George Dean Johnson, Jr.                the program, with support from district
    science from the University of Florida.    College of Business and Economics —            leaders.
    He also holds an MBA from Fresno           the first graduate program of its kind in         “We’re fortunate to have
    State. He has previously taught at the     South Carolina. Many of its students           superintendents and school boards
    University of Nevada — Las Vegas. In       are already employed by companies              committed to investing in their
    the mid-1990s, he served for four years    who understand how data analysis can           teachers,” says Laura Reynolds, dean
    as a city councilman in his hometown       improve financial performance,                 of USC Upstate’s School of Education,
    of Ormond Beach, Florida.                  strategic management and operational           Human Performance, and Health. “The
      “I am humbled and honored to be          efficiency.                                    challenge for us was to design a
    working with the incredible team at           “Business analytics is an                   rigorous program that assists districts
    USC Upstate,” Schecter said. “This is      interdisciplinary field of study that          in recruiting and retaining high-quality

6   |   UP Magazine
IN A CLASS OF THEIR OWN - A special tribute to our 2020 graduates - USC Upstate
Associate Professor Uma Gupta talks about the business
                                                                                                       analytics program during an alumni luncheon at Milliken & Co.

Melissa Davis, left, an instructor in the math and computer science department, helped develop the            region, that there are as many as
curriculum and prepare the networking lab for the new cybersecurity program. With her is Jeannie              49,000 jobs in the sector,” says
Chapman, dean of the College of Science and Technology.                                                       Chapman, whose program was
                                                                                                              approved by the Commission on Higher
                                                                                                              Education earlier this year.
educators for Upstate classrooms, but                      impact in their own communities,                      Despite that, she says, “The
also allows busy teachers to elevate                       implementing programs and                          landscape for cybersecurity bachelor’s
their professional skills and begin to                     conducting outreach that promotes,                 programs in the state is surprisingly
apply their learning immediately. By                       maintains, and improves individual and             sparse. While the speed at which
offering the program in an online and                      community health.”                                 technology is developing is partly to
hybrid format, we have increased the                         Jeannie Chapman, dean of the                     blame for a skills gap, it’s also due to
number of graduate students we can                         College of Science and Technology, did             an inadequate education pipeline.”
serve.”                                                    not have to go far to establish need for              Graduates of USC Upstate’s program
   Also new is a program in community                      a new degree in cybersecurity. A recent            will be able to use cybersecurity tools
health, which Reynolds helped develop                      Breach Level Index report found that               and principles to protect the virtual and
with input from regional health care                       during the first half of 2018 alone, more          real resources of an organization;
systems, nonprofits, schools and                           than 3 billion data records were                   develop critical security strategies;
foundations.                                               compromised in data breaches                       work with local and federal law
   “Our community partners are asking                                                                         enforcement agencies in handling
us to provide opportunities for students                                                                      cybersecurity incidents; and utilize
to earn a community-focused, high-                        “These are innovative                               cybersecurity tools used by both
quality degree that prepares them to                                                                          criminal and ethical hackers, among
meet workforce needs,” she says. “The                      programs that serve our                            other skills.
resulting program is the only bachelor’s                                                                         “Because so much commerce is
degree in community health in the                          students in unique ways.”                          conducted electronically and because
region.”                                                                                                      so much data storage is remote, gone
   Reynolds says that the U.S. Bureau                     - David Schecter                                    are the days when small, local
of Labor projects a 16% increase in                                                                           companies were safe from attacks,”
demand for health care related                                                                                says Chapman. “Cybersecurity
positions over the next 10 years, and                       worldwide, which translates to just over          employees will soon be as
community health provides excellent                         200 records per second.                           commonplace as human resource
opportunities for students to serve their                     Given that figure, demand for                   managers, with even ‘mom and pop’
community in nonclinical areas of care,                     cybersecurity jobs in the U.S. has                businesses requiring the services of
such as public health, health care                          nearly doubled since 2013, according              these experts.”
administration, and patient navigation.                     to a report by Burning Glass                         “These are innovative programs that
   “Our program will provide flexible                       Technologies. Chapman discovered                  serve our students in unique ways,”
education and training for students                         South Carolina, and the southeastern              says David Schecter, USC Upstate’s
interested in the field of health while                     region, were no exceptions to that                new provost. “Partnerships with
increasing the number of community                          demand.                                           corporate and community leaders help
health professionals for organizations in                     “CyberSeek reports more than 3,000              ensure that we are delivering the
the region and state,” says Reynolds.                       cybersecurity sector job openings in              relevant curricula our graduates need
“Just as importantly, it provides                           South Carolina alone, and when                    to succeed in today’s increasingly
students the opportunity to make an                         expanding out to the southeastern                 competitive job market.”

                                                                                                                            uscupstate.edu/magazine Spring 2020   |7
IN A CLASS OF THEIR OWN - A special tribute to our 2020 graduates - USC Upstate
The USC Upstate campus was quiet this
          spring when the university switched to
          online learning as part of a statewide
          response to COVID-19.

8   |   UP Magazine
uscupstate.edu/magazine Spring 2020   |9
Nick Gaffney:
     It’s Always a Good Time
     to Talk About Inclusion
     Nicholas Gaffney joined USC Upstate this spring as director of the

     Center for African American Studies. While USC Upstate has long

     offered a minor in African American Studies, a dedicated leader will

     enhance the Center’s ability to offer its unique combination of scholarly

     work, cultural and social programming, internships and civic learning.

     What drew you to USC Upstate?             As students consider careers, are
     There were two things that drew me to     there fields that particularly value a
     USC Upstate. First and foremost, this     minor in African American studies?
     position provides a unique opportunity    One of the projects I hope to work on
     to teach, engage in research and          this fall is to identify the fields, specific
     manage a program. But it is also a        careers, for which it would be
     chance to grow the Center’s presence      especially valuable to have a
     in terms of campus and community          background in African American
     engagement. I’m glad to be able to        studies. I’m thinking about careers for
     spend my time being focused on this       which the ability to study a certain
     type of work.                             demographic group makes sense. I’ll
                                               seek out professionals working in
     Why is this work particularly             public policy, corporate foundations
     significant at this time in history?      and nonprofits, as well as in more              culture, in general, that speaks to an
     I think now more than ever, this is our   traditional fields like education and           ethos of inclusion that seems to be
     chance to tell our stories. We have the   public relations, to learn how                  prewired into Gen Ys and Gen Zs.
     communication technologies that allow     demographic insight may add value to
     us to do this. We’re becoming an          their work. Our curriculum gives                What are you enjoying
     increasingly diverse country and we       students the tools to study a particular        most about Spartanburg?
     have an opportunity to contribute to      demographic group, and how to apply             Well, that’s the other really cool reason
     efforts that aim to embrace and value a   the same tools to learn another.                for wanting to be here! I have a strong
     sense of diversity and community.                                                         family connection here. My dad was
     It’s always been a good time to talk      Are younger generations                         raised in Cowpens. As a kid who grew
     about diversity and inclusion, but as     more inclusive?                                 up in Atlanta, we would come up this
     we move through the digital age, it’s a   As an historian, we wouldn’t begin to           way for every major holiday – Easter,
     perfect opportunity to envision and       ask questions about these generations           Thanksgiving, Christmas. I have a lot of
     share what a diverse, inclusive,          until much later, but you do start to see       fun memories playing with cousins in
     equitable society looks like.             a different trend. It’s the idea of shared      Cowpens. I look forward to settling into

10   |   UP Magazine
Warren Carson, below, who taught African American
                                                                                        literature and culture for more than 30 years at USC
                                                                                        Upstate, praised Nick Gaffney’s selection as
                                                                                        director. "Nick Gaffney is well credentialed, with an
                                                                                        excellent background in the broad field of African
                                                                                        American Studies, and an experienced administrator,"
                                                                                        Carson said. "His relative youth and evergy make him
                                                                                        the ideal person to lead the Center in fulfilling its
                                                                                        important role in the intellectual life of our campus."

the Upstate area with my wife Camille       publications, Nick’s research focuses on
and our three children, Madeleine,          the intersections of African American
Benjamin and Maeve.                         cultural production and socio-political
                                            activism. His current book project, “Jazz
                                            Goes to Work: The Jazz Community and
    Gaffney comes to USC Upstate from       the Black Freedom Struggle From the
Northern Virginia Community College,        New Negro Movement to the Black Arts
where he served as associate dean of        Revolution, 1900-1980” explains why
Social Sciences and Humanities, and         and how black activists called upon jazz
assistant professor of history. He holds    and the jazz community to support their
a Ph.D. in history from the University of   movements. Early in his academic
Illinois and a master’s in African          career he served as a Pre-Doctoral
American and African studies from The       Fellow at the Smithsonian Institution’s
Ohio State University.                      National Museum of American History.
    The author of numerous articles and

                                                                                                         uscupstate.edu/magazine Spring 2020      | 11
A Stitch in Time
     How Spartanburg’s Beaumont Mill could help teachers tell their community’s history.
     BY ELIZABETH ANDERSON

                                    “There’s no better way of interesting a student in history
                                     than tying it to their own life and experiences.”
                                    - Paul Grady

12   |   UP Magazine
B
        usinessman Chris Crowley was a        Textile town
        teenager when he worked in a             The current NEH application, which
        mill in Spartanburg, but he           was submitted in February, is actually
vividly remembers the stifling heat of        the second iteration of one proposed
the opening room.                             last year. While the group credits
   “There was no dust control, so it was      Grady for spearheading the effort to
a very hot, dusty environment that I          apply for a “Landmarks in American
worked in,” Crowley recalls in an oral        History and Culture” grant, he notes it
history he provided for USC Upstate.          was Myers who suggested they focus
“The ceiling in this room was probably        on Beaumont Mill.
eight feet at the most, with a tin roof.         “It has a complete mill village around
So no air conditioning or any kind of         it which has been preserved as a
ventilation, really, except for just          historic neighborhood; a large portion
windows with attic fans on them.”             of the building itself is still standing;
   Crowley’s job was to take cotton           and the neighborhood association was
waste in his hands and toss it into an        really enthusiastic about helping us,
opening machine. “It was incredibly           which is a plus,” Myers explains.
hot, so you’d sweat and the dust would           While the group embraced the idea,
stick to you, and you’d sort of look like     they knew the competition was likely to
a chia pet when you got through with a        be stiff. Past grant winners included
shift,” he says.                              projects focused on high-profile places
   The stories told by Crowley and others     or events, such as Monticello, the
with ties to Beaumont Mill form the basis     American Revolution and Hoover Dam.
of a teaching project proposed by a              “Andy actually had a joke: ‘I think
group of USC Upstate professors and           you have to have a World Heritage site
staff that would help middle and high         to win one of these things,’ and all we
school educators explore the history of       had was a textile mill!” Grady says. “So
their own communities.                        that was a real concern, how do we
   Four faculty members – Paul Grady          make a textile mill cool.”
and Andy Myers in history, Warren                The answer, he says, was marshaling
Bareiss in communications and                 all the resources they had – old mill
Rebecca Mueller in education – and            newspapers, the oral histories, photos,
archivist Ann Merryman have                   artifacts, the mill building itself – as the
collaborated on a National Endowment          basis for teaching community-based
for the Humanities grant application          history.
that would bring secondary school                “The grant is as much about the
teachers from across the country to           skills we’re trying to give to these
campus over the summer to learn how           educators so they can then take those
to teach community history. Using             back into their own communities and
Beaumont Mill as a guide, Upstate             do their own community histories —
faculty would provide teachers with           and help their students do the same,”
research skills and techniques they           Grady says.
could use with their students.                   While the initial grant didn’t succeed,
   “There’s no better way of interesting      the constructive feedback and interest
a student in history than tying it to their   the group received encouraged them
own life and their own experiences,”          to try again this year, this time with a
explains Grady.                               much stronger focus and plan.

                                                          uscupstate.edu/magazine Spring 2020   | 13
Homespun history
        Under the proposal, a week-long
     workshop would be held twice during
     the summer, each with a different
     group of 36 teachers from across the
     country. The teachers would visit
     several local textile landmarks, learn
     how to use archival collections and
     how to conduct oral histories, and
     create teaching blueprints using the
     inquiry-based model they would learn.
        For Mueller, who specializes in social
     studies education, this approach is
     particularly exciting, because it will
     help teachers understand how local
     history can be a useful way to explore
     larger topics.
        “Sometimes, because every teacher         “The group has already laid the groundwork
     feels the pressure to cover lots of
     information, it’s easy to think, ‘We can’t         for preserving an important part of the
     focus on that story because we have
     all this other stuff we need to talk                      Upstate’s history.” - Andy Myers
     about,’” she says. “What I’m really
     hopeful this grant does is illustrate how
     you can dig into your community’s
     history, not instead of the other content
     that’s out there, but as a really
     interesting way to get into these bigger
     themes and issues.”
        Mueller says she herself has learned
     a lot through the application process,
     since she knew little about the area’s
     textile history before getting involved.
     Hearing the oral histories that have
     been done so far have raised several
     topics to explore, she says, particularly
     about the decline of the textile
     industry.
        “One thing that’s interesting about
     this story is this idea of
     transformation,” she explains. “What
     does a community do when their
     identity is really shaken, and how do
     you hold onto that, because that’s
     what made this place.”

     New threads to follow
       While Grady feels good about the
     grant application, both he and Myers

14   |   UP Magazine
agree there are some challenges to
getting a full picture of the mill’s
history. Many of those who worked in
the mill during its heyday in the 1940s
and ‘50s are no longer alive or in the
area, they note. Those who were
working at the mill when it closed in
1997 moved away to find new jobs.
   And while Beaumont Village has an
active neighborhood association, many
homes that once belonged to former
mill workers are now either in the
hands of their children or of investors
who bought up the property and
rented it out.
   Myers says one way to address
these challenges is to focus on the
latter years of the mill, from the ‘60s up
until its closing. There are several
sources in town who have helped put
those decades into perspective,
including Crowley, a former textile
executive who grew up in the business;
Walter Montgomery, whose father
bought Beaumont Mill in 1941; and
Spartanburg businessman Jimmy
Gibbs, who bought defunct mills such
as Beaumont and their old machinery.
   These sources, Myers says, are
shedding light on a part of the textiles
story that has not been explored as
deeply as the boom years have. “Why
did the industry decline? Why did all
these mills go out of business? I think
that’s really significant, not only for this
region, but for the country,” Myers says.
   Bareiss, who helped with the oral
histories, sees many of the same
recurring themes as Myers in the
firsthand accounts, and says helping
teachers learn how to identify those is
important for getting a full
understanding of a place.
   “The patterns I heard were about
pride of working there, about the ability
to participate in a community and live
in a community where everybody knew
everybody else, and there was some
comfort in that,” he says.

            uscupstate.edu/magazine Spring 2020   | 15
“Learning doesn’t just take place in a classroom —
                                                                                                  ­
                                                 the whole purpose of learning is to then do things.”
                                                 - Rebecca Mueller
     History in the Making
     A central component of the workshops           says. “If we think about Beaumont             Several activities are planned during
     that would be offered as part of the           Mill and the village, you can imagine       the workshops. They include:
     National Endowment for the Humanities          families and children who are living          • A walking tour of Beaumont Village
     grant is helping teachers develop              there now thinking about what it was        and Mill, including a visit to the mill
     an inquiry-based model for teaching            and what they want that community           building, some residents’ homes and
     community history.                             to be,” she says. “So it can be about       neighborhood churches;
        The idea, explains Rebecca Mueller,         taking action on how to make the              • A bus tour of selected sites in
     assistant professor of social studies          community even better today.”               Spartanburg related to textile history,
     education, is to take the questions               One question Mueller says teachers       such as the Whitney community,
     students have about where they live,           need to be prepared to answer is “why       Lawson’s Fork Creek and Converse
     help them find the information to              are we doing this?” The seminars are a      Mill;
     answer those questions, and then turn          way to help teachers think about how          • Archival research using the Library
     that information into action.                  they can make history relevant to their     of Congress online collection of child
        “So learning doesn’t just take place        students and show them the value            labor photographs by Lewis Hine from
     in a classroom — the whole purpose of          in the information and skills they’re       the early 1900s;
     learning is to then do things,” she says.      learning.                                     • A presentation on Thomas Bomar,
        Those things don’t have to be big,             “Adolescents are curious,” she           an African-American brick mason and
     Mueller says – it might be something           says. “We think only 5-year-olds ask        business owner whose company built
     simple, such as middle and high                questions, but teenagers are asking a       Beaumont and other local mills;
     school students creating informational         lot of questions as well. They’re trying      • A look at the role of women at
     materials about their community for            to understand their world and figure out    Beaumont Mill during World War II.
     younger students. Or students might            their place in it.
     work with their local libraries and               “Place-based history is a way to
     museums on collecting oral histories           connect with that energy that’s there
     and items for preservation.                    and help students see themselves as
        Action doesn’t have to be limited           citizens now, rather than citizens in the
     to preserving the past, either, Mueller        future.”

16   |   UP Magazine
“The ability to participate in a community
                                              and live in a community where everybody
                                                       knew everybody else — there was
                                                some comfort in that.” - Warren Bareiss

  “I came in with the presumption that          superintendent when Beaumont                Interwoven goals
mills were always oppressive places,”           converted exclusively to wartime               The group expects to hear back from
he adds. “Now I’m seeing them in a              production in 1941, lent Merryman his       the NEH sometime in August, but in
much more nuanced way.”                         issues from 1942-45 so she could scan       the meantime, a grant Mueller received
                                                them. Another resident donated some         from the University of South Carolina
From the ground up                              copies she had. Merryman believes           will be used this summer to offer a pilot
   Even without a lot of mill worker            USC Upstate now has the largest             version of the NEH workshops with six
testimonials to draw from, the group            extant collection of the Beaumont E         teachers from local schools. The
has had some success in collecting              anywhere in the state.                      limited three-day format will help the
primary source materials, in particular             Like Mueller, Merryman says she         Upstate group get feedback on the
the Beaumont E newsletter. Started in           didn’t know much about textile history      activities and teaching model they’ve
1942 to keep workers fighting in World          when she first became involved with the     proposed to the NEH.
War II connected with their community,          grant, so reading the Beaumont E has           Both Myers and Grady say
the Beaumont E offers a glimpse of mill         been a fascinating learning experience.     regardless of what happens with the
life during the war years and beyond,               “There was such a pride of              grant, the group has already laid the
Merryman says.                                  production, and that comes through in       groundwork for preserving an
   “This collection that we’re starting to      all these newspapers – how proud they       important part of the Upstate’s history.
build didn’t exist before we actually got       were of the quantity of the material they   “The archival preservation is a legacy
into this grant,” she says.                     were making and shipping overseas,          that will last forever,” Grady says.
   When the group first met with the            how proud they were that their safety          And if the grant does get approved,
Beaumont Village Association to gauge           record was so good,” she says.              he hopes the teachers who take part in
their interest in the grant project, they           Indeed, the Beaumont E took its         the program – be they from a fishing
were stunned when community                     name from the Army-Navy production          village in New England or a mining
members showed up bearing a trove of            award the mill received four times          town in West Virginia or farmlands in
historical material, Merryman says. At          during the war years, a recognition of      the Central Valley of California – will
the time, she wasn’t in a position to           its role as the largest producer of the     return home with the tools to tell their
take any of it for preservation, but she        duck canvas used to make military           own community’s story.
did accept a collection of the                  tents and equipment.
Beaumont E from a resident.                         The newspaper also reprinted letters
   Some quick research revealed there           it received from those who were
were few copies of the Beaumont E in            serving, many expressing appreciation
any South Carolina library. There were          for getting news from back home and                  Do you have an item related to
a handful at the Spartanburg public             applauding the mill’s war efforts.                      the history of Beaumont Mill,
library, Merryman says, and a couple            “While learning to fly here, I have seen
                                                                                                        Beaumont Mill Village, or the
other copies at the South Caroliniana           many uses of the cloth that you are
Library in Columbia, and all were from                                                             textile industry in South Carolina
                                                turning out,” reads one. “When and if I
the war years.                                  graduate and go into combat, your                   that you would like preserved in
   The 30 or so copies she had                  cloth will be one of the main things that              the USC Upstate Archives? If
received overlapped a little with that          will help to keep me alive.”                      so, we would like to connect with
time period, but most were from the                 The last issue of the E that                      you! Please contact university
1950s and ‘60s, she says, and looked            Merryman has is from 1969, but she                         archivist Ann Merryman at
more like newsletters, rather than the          doesn’t know if there are others that                amerryman@uscupstate.edu or
newspaper format of the ‘40s.                   exist from subsequent years. It’s
                                                                                                                  call 864-503-5275.
   The collection grew further when Jay         another question she hopes to answer
Adams, whose father was mill                    as the project continues.

                                                                                                       uscupstate.edu/magazine Spring 2020   | 17
Threading the
     Needle
     Spartanburg textile companies find ways to
     adapt and thrive in a global economy.
     BY TREVOR ANDERSON

     T
             extile manufacturing was           opportunity for us to continue to grow in
             Spartanburg County’s lifeblood     textiles — the industry that made us.”
             for more than a century.              In a landscape that was once
        When the industry collapsed in the      dominated by cotton-based textiles, an
     late 1980s and early ‘90s, mills went      impressive diversity of highly-
     dark, thousands were left jobless and      engineered products has emerged.
     mill villages crumbled as residents           High-end pool covers, performance
     moved away in search of work. The          fibers, mission-critical cleaning wipes
     local economy was left on life support.    and supplies, flame-retardant yarns,
        “It evaporated so quickly,” says        camouflage apparel, automotive
     Spartanburg County Councilman David        interior fabrics and premium carbon
     Britt. “We lost 25,000 jobs. An entire     fiber for auto and aerospace
     way of life that generations had           applications are just a few of the items
     depended on.”                              that local companies are producing for
        Then in 1994, German automaker          the global market.
     BMW opened its first production plant         “It’s kind of like hockey,” says
     outside of Europe on a 1,100-acre site     Jansen Tidmore, executive vice
     near Greer, giving the community the       president of the Spartanburg
     boost it so badly needed.                  Economic Futures Group. “You don’t
        Since BMW’s arrival, the county has     go where the puck is. You go where it’s
     become an economic force to be             going to be. We have a number of
     reckoned with, attracting billions of      companies that could be the poster
     dollars of investment from international   children for the textile industry’s
     and domestic manufacturers and             resurgence. They were the ones that
     powering startups not only in the          really understood what was happening,
     automotive sector, but across a range      shifted gears and then built huge
     of industries.                             product lines.”
        Amid that success, the textile             Milliken & Co., Inman Mills and Tietex
     industry has quietly been making a         are some of the names from
     comeback.                                  Spartanburg’s textile past that have
        “BMW changed us,” Britt says. “Our      not only survived, but thrived by
     textile industry didn’t go away, but it    focusing on innovation and
     did have to reinvent itself. Our           diversification and finding ways to
     companies turned to innovation and         creatively solve problems for
     adapted. Many of them found a niche.       customers.
     There is a tremendous amount of

18   |   UP Magazine
“Our textile industry didn’t go away, but it did
          have to reinvent itself.” - David Britt

                         uscupstate.edu/magazine Spring 2020   | 19
Jack McBride, co-founder and CEO of Contec Inc.    A loom from the former Beaumont Mill is part of the historic display in the renovated building.

        As of 2018, Milliken was the largest                                                                        manufacturing environments.
     privately held company in South                                                                                   “Oddly enough, our first big home
     Carolina, according to Grant Thornton             “Because we’ve been successful,                              run was a pre-saturated wipe used in
     LLP. The company is the Upstate’s                                                                              automotive paint shops,” says
     third-largest manufacturing employer               we have companies who                                       McBride, Contec’s CEO. “We met a
     behind BMW and Michelin North                                                                                  guy at a Cubs game who serviced
     America, according to Upstate                      come to us with their latest                                Toledo Assembly, where Chrysler was
     Alliance SC.                                                                                                   making the Jeep. We sent him a
        Today, the former textile giant bills           and greatest inventions.”                                   sample of our original pre-saturated
     itself as “a global diversified                                                                                wipes. They needed it bigger, quarter-
     manufacturer with more than a century             - Jack McBride                                               folded, and all that.”
     and a half of textile expertise.” The                                                                             “So I called the contract
     company is known the world over for                                                                            manufacturer,” he adds. “They couldn’t
     its specialty fibers, chemicals, floor             two decades, have given rise to or                          do it. Nobody could do it. We had to
     coverings and commitment to quality.               attracted several unique                                    bring in fabric, get it quarter-folded by
        In response to the global COVID-19              manufacturers, such as Contec Inc.,                         another friend. We brought in rolls of
     (coronavirus) pandemic, Milliken                   Meyco Products Inc., Japan-based                            film and heat-sealed it on three sides.
     announced it would increase domestic               Toray, TrueTimber and others.                               We cut a hole for a peel-and-reseal
     production of its breakthrough                        Contec was founded in the late                           label, and put the label on top.”
     BioSmart fabric, which is used to                  1980s by two former Milliken                                   McBride says it took two months for
     provide anti-microbial protection in               employees, Jack McBride and Jim                             the company to make a few cases for
     medical products like scrubs, lab                  Smith.                                                      their waiting customer. It wasn’t long
     coats and privacy curtains.                           The company originally started as a                      before Contec received a second order
        “The numbers show that textiles is              distributor of contamination control                        from that customer for 100 cases per
     still a declining industry overall, but for        technology, but in the mid-1990s, it got                    week.
     Spartanburg, it’s very strong and                  into manufacturing. Today, Contec is a                         “That’s when we went from being
     growing,” Tidmore says.                            global leader in the production of                          not a manufacturer to being a
        The perseverance of some of the                 contamination control products,                             manufacturer,” McBride says. “We got
     county’s textile mainstays, coupled                including wipes, mops and other                             up to capacity to supply that plant.
     with economic growth during the past               solutions, for critical cleaning and                        One day, the vice president of Chrysler

20   |   UP Magazine
was walking around the plant and he          For example, Japanese carbon fiber
saw some employees using Contec           maker Toray made one of the largest
wipes. They told him it reduces VOCs      investments in South Carolina’s history     “What I continually hear from
and was improving their first-time        when it committed more than $1 billion
yields by 2 to 3 percent, a cost          to build a production plant off Highway     leaders is that they need people
savings of about $3 million per year.     290 near Duncan.
And he said, ‘Well, why aren’t we            The S.C. Ports Authority’s Inland        with problem-solving skills,”
doing this in every plant?’”              Port in Spartanburg County near Greer
    “So the customer called me and        has provided multiple industries,           Ellis says. “The ability to think
said, ‘We can’t run out! Whatever it      including textiles, with a means to
takes, we can’t run out,’” McBride        efficiently export more of their products   and apply what you’re learning
adds. “And that’s still one of our core   to waiting customers across the globe.
values: whatever it takes.”                  But challenges remain. One of them       in the classroom — that’s what
    McBride explains that Contec has      is and will continue to be competition
remained flexible by staying              for qualified employees.                    we do.”
diversified. The company’s workforce         That’s one area where USC Upstate
is also comprised of many employees       has an important role to play.
with a background in textiles.               “The textile industry has reshaped
    “We bring that expertise to the       itself,” McBride says. “The industries
table and look at how we can apply        that have a very large labor component
it,” he says. “Because we’ve been         will probably stay overseas. The
successful, we have companies who         manufacturing that will come back to              Top Textile Employers in
come to us with their latest and          the U.S. is likely to have a more                 Spartanburg County
greatest inventions. We’re able to take   automated focus. We need people with
a look at how those products apply to     advanced degrees—operators who can                Milliken & Co......................3,957
our customer base. Having a textile       communicate. In general, the                      Inman Mills.........................1,000
background really helps. We speak         requirement for expertise and all levels          Tietex.....................................600
our customers’ language. And we’re        will be greater and those jobs will be            Contec Inc.............................600
very good about sharing our results.”     paid a higher wage.”                              Toray.......................................500
    “As we move from the cleanroom           Currently, USC Upstate offers a                Leigh Fibers...........................200
market into selling more products to      Bachelor of Science degree in                     Sage Automotive Interiors.....200
hospitals, we’re seeing continued         engineering technology management                            Source: Spartanburg County Economic
growth and success,” McBride adds.        (ETM) and a Bachelor of Applied                                         Futures Group (as of 2019)

“Now we have customers who look to        Science in advanced manufacturing
us when they have a need. We look at      management (AMM). These two degree
our converting capabilities and we        programs are aimed at providing local
come up with a product that meets         manufacturers with the talent they
the need.”                                need and enabling area residents to
    There are plenty of reasons why       pursue greater opportunities in             The administrative offices for Spartanburg
local leaders are bullish about           manufacturing.                              Regional Healthcare System occupy the former
Spartanburg’s future in textiles.                                                     Beaumont Mill. The Southern Conference is also a
                                                                                      tenant in the building.

                                                                                                     uscupstate.edu/magazine Spring 2020       | 21
Several mills, including Drayton,
     pictured here, and Mayfair, at right,
     have been renovated for use as artist
     studios, retail, or luxury lofts, attracting
     tenants who are drawn to their original
     hardwood flooring, vaulted ceilings and
     expansive windows.

22   |   UP Magazine
Mayfair Art Studios photos courtesy of Chapman Cultural Center

   “The textile industry today is not that   and adjunct professors teaching in
different from any other high-tech           both programs who bring a wealth of
industry,” says Tim Ellis, a senior          industrial experience into their
instructor of ETM and AMM at USC             academic training.
Upstate. “The plants are clean and             “What I continually hear from
highly automated. The type of                leaders is that they need people with
employee has changed from the ‘hand’         problem-solving skills,” Ellis adds.
to the highly skilled technician who can     “The ability to think and apply what
keep the sophisticated equipment             you’re learning in the classroom —
running.”                                    that’s what we do.”
   Ellis worked in textiles for two
decades before transitioning to
education in 2009.
   “I’ve been able to infuse what I
learned in my 20-year textile career in
my classroom teaching,” he says.
   “We currently have eight full-time

                                                            uscupstate.edu/magazine Spring 2020             | 23
History
     Is the
     Greatest
     Teacher
     BY TREVOR ANDERSON

     F
            rom her corner office on the top
            floor of the campus library, Ann
            Merryman quietly cultivates a
     vision that began when she arrived at
     USC Upstate in 2014.
         As the university’s coordinator of
     Archives and Special Collections,
     Merryman oversees the
     documentation, organization and
     preservation of records that have
     “enduring value” to USC Upstate and
     the surrounding 10-county region. And,
     if that doesn’t sound daunting enough,
     she has worked diligently to make
     those records accessible and usable
     by future generations.
         The structure Merryman has put into
     place is vital to the university’s efforts
     to develop its own unique identity and
     sense of place, as well as to foster
     relationships and support education
     throughout the Upstate.
         “We’re nearing our 53rd anniversary
     as a university,” Merryman says.             academic catalogs to faculty manuals          educators how to tap into a variety of
     “There really wasn’t an archivist here       and handbooks. There are all of the           resources, including archives, to teach
     before I arrived. When I walked into this    Faculty Senate meeting minutes dating         the history of their communities.
     position, we had four rooms of stuff.        back to the late 1960s; a near complete          The archive also features a journal
     No one really knew the full scope of         run of the student newspaper The              from 1878 donated by the Spartanburg
     what we actually had. Six years later,       Carolinian; thousands of old photos,          County Medical Society that lists all
     the work continues.”                         slides and negatives; and                     the physicians in the community at that
         Currently, Archives and Special          miscellaneous items.                          time, and a music book of shape notes
     Collections occupies six rooms on the           “All of these collections are things the   that dates back to the 1840s.
     library’s second floor. While the            university generates,” Merryman says.            There are more than 260 volumes in
     collections have continued to grow,             Archives of the Upstate focuses on         the Thomas Moore Craig Collection of
     Merryman has succeeded in taking the         anything that documents the history of        Southern History and Literature. It also
     “stuff” and neatly organizing it into two    the region.                                   includes a silver tea set owned by the
     separate categories: University                 For example, Merryman and archives         late Andrew Charles Moore (1866-1928)
     Archives and Archives of the Upstate.        assistant Michael Sanders are providing       and his wife, Vivian Mary Moore. Andrew
         University Archives is a repository      support to a group of faculty members         Moore was acting president of the
     for records that document the history        who have applied for a National               University of South Carolina from 1908-
     of USC Upstate — its programs,               Endowment for the Humanities grant.           1909, and according to family history, the
     services and people.                            The grant would fund workshops that        tea set was used to serve Dr. Charles W.
         Items range from old yearbooks and       would teach middle and high school            Elliot, president of Harvard University,

24   |   UP Magazine
USC Upstate archivist Ann Merryman and archives
                                                                                         assistant Michael Sanders review a collection of old
                                                                                         newsletters from Beaumont Mill that were donated
                                                                                         to the library.

                                                                                         anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.
                                                                                             “My hope is that we continue to build
                                                                                         trust with the community,” Merryman
                                                                                         says. “We want them to come to us
                                                                                         and entrust us with their history.”
                                                                                             “Archivists must be very
                                                                                         collaborative,” she adds. “That’s our
                                                                                         mindset. In my efforts to grow this
                                                                                         archive, I’ve received support from
                                                                                         many colleagues across the state. We
                                                                                         want to make sure that we complement
                                                                                         other collections that are out there.
                                                                                         We’re trying to be supportive of the
                                                                                         community’s history in general.”
                                                                                             Merryman is a native of Charleston,
                                                                                         Illinois. She earned a Bachelor of Arts
                                                                                         degree in business and economics from
                                                                                         Benedictine University and a Master of
                                                                                         Library and Information Studies from
                                                                                         the University of South Carolina.
                                                                                             In addition to her archive duties,
                                                                                         Merryman is a public services librarian.
when he spoke at USC in 1909.              and tell a great story, have high             She teaches information literacy
   “We just finished a high-level          research value, or are so fragile and at-     sessions to students, supports and
inventory of everything we have,”          risk that digitization is the only feasible   collaborates with history and political
Merryman says. “I feel like we’re really   way for researchers to use the                science faculty, and provides research
starting to get a handle on it and we      collections,” she says.                       and reference support to students,
are continuing to grow.”                      That work has enabled Merryman to          faculty and the community.
   Access to the materials and             also build new digital collections, such          “The work that Ann is doing is
collections is currently by appointment    as the LGBTQ Upstate Oral History             fundamental to the history of this
only. Anyone wishing to visit should       Collection and the Center for Women’s         university,” says Frieda Davison, dean
email or call in advance to schedule a     and Gender Studies 20th Anniversary           of the library. “As our inaugural
time. None of the materials can be         Poster Collection.                            archivist, she is establishing the
checked out from the library.                 Several other projects are in the          policies, processes and standards for
   But Merryman and Sanders are            works, including oral histories of            decades to come. Largely because of
continuing to identify specific            Holocaust survivors in the Upstate, a         her, we are receiving exciting donations
collections that could be digitized so     collection of Holocaust documents             and preserving documents from not
the public could access them online.       from a private collector, and an oral         only the university’s past, but from the
   “There are certain types of             history of Ingo Sachtler, a former            Upstate area.”
collections that lend themselves very      prisoner in East Germany who visited
well to digitization, whether it’s         USC Upstate this past fall as part of         For more information, please visit:
because they are visually interesting      activities commemorating the 30th             uscupstate.libguides.com/archives.

                                                                                                           uscupstate.edu/magazine Spring 2020   | 25
You can also read