Student Affairs

President’s Park

Campus superstition says that a stroll through President’s Park with your sweetie is a sure sign that

an engagement ring is in your future. The legend is, couples who walk hand-in-hand through the

park will marry.

Senior Sidewalks

Walk around campus and you’ll see names engraved on the sidewalks underfoot. In the 1950s,

graduating seniors began raising money to build sidewalks, imprinting their names, and thereby,

their legacy in them. Today, the names of more than 53,000 alumni have been engraved.

Alma Mater Salute

During Clemson’s early military days, first-year students wore “rat caps” and waved them in the air

during every football game. Today, at the conclusion of singing Clemson’s alma mater, students and

alumni still wave their hands in the air with thumbs folded underneath as though holding a cap.

Military Heritage

Clemson University has a proud tradition of military excellence. Founded as a military school in

1889, Clemson built its reputation by consistently graduating well-prepared officers. Today, Clemson

Army and Air Force ROTC cadets carry on the rich tradition of the historic Corps of Cadets.

Clemson’s military spirit is commemorated through sites such as the Clemson Military Heritage

Plaza, which overlooks Bowman Field and features an array of ribbons and honors. It also features

the footprints of brave service members and inscriptions from a variety of alumni classes.

The Tiger-Paw-Stamped $2 Bill

Clemson fans take Tiger-Paw-stamped $2 bills to away games to show the economic impact our fans

have on a city.

Scroll of Honor

Beginning with the first-year class in 1893, Clemson was a military college for 62 years. Then from

1955 until 1970, all freshmen and sophomores were required to participate in ROTC. Today,

more than 300 students still participate in Military Science courses on a voluntary basis. Clemson

University has a proud military tradition with more than 10,000 alumni who have served in the

armed forces, from the Spanish-American War through the war on terrorism.

The Clemson Corps, a constituent group of the Alumni Association, has developed the Scroll of

Honor to recognize those alumni who have given the ultimate sacrifice in service to their country.

To date, 493 alumni have been identified. The Clemson Corps coordinated a universitywide effort

to construct a memorial to honor these heroes. The Scroll of Honor Memorial is located adjacent

to the east gate of Memorial Stadium — across from Howard’s Rock.

For more on the history and traditions at Clemson University, visit