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Homecoming and Tigerama
The excitement, spirit and enthusiasm of homecoming celebrations have been a Clemson
tradition since 1914. During the week preceding the game, student organizations build
homecoming displays on Bowman Field which consist of telephone poles, wooden frames and
tissue paper called “pomp” stuck into chicken wire to make images or designs. Beginning in
1957, Tigerama — one of the nation’s largest student-run pep rallies — incorporated skits by
student groups, fireworks and the crowning of the homecoming queen on the Friday night
before the football game.
Founder’s Day
The anniversary of Clemson University Founder Thomas Green Clemson’s death on April 6,
1888, is commemorated each year with a Founder’s Day ceremony. The ceremony includes
a prayer service at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in nearby Pendleton where he is buried.
New Student Convocation Pin
Clemson students have officially begun their Clemson career upon receiving their new
student convocation pin. This symbolic transition to Clemson is founded upon Clemson’s
Core Values and marks the official start of a lifetime of pride and honor.
Lovers’ Lane
Campus superstition says that a stroll through President’s Park with your sweetie is a sure
sign 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 football games. 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. Beginning with the first
graduating class of 1896, more than 10,000 Clemson men and women have served in the
armed forces. Today, Clemson Army and Air Force ROTC cadets carry on the rich tradition
of the historic Cadet Corps. Clemson’s military spirit is commemorated through sites such as
the Military Heritage Plaza, overlooking Bowman Field, which served as Clemson’s earliest
military drill complex. The 18-step memorial and plaza feature an array of ribbons and
honors, the footprints of brave service members and inscriptions from alumni classes.
The Tiger Paw-Stamped $2 Bill
In 1977, Georgia Tech decided to stop playing football against Clemson. In a show of protest,
students and alumni stamped $2 bills with Tiger Paws and used them in Atlanta to show the
money that Tiger fans bring to athletic events. Today, Clemson fans continue to take Tiger
Paw-stamped $2 bills to away games to show the economic impact our fans have on a city.
Scroll of Honor
The Clemson Corps, a constituent group of the Alumni Association, developed the Scroll
of Honor to recognize those alumni who have given the ultimate sacrifice in service to