Student Affairs

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

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 fromHoward’s Rock.

The Clemson Story

Initially an all-male, all-white military school, Clemson Agricultural College opened in

July 1893 with 446 students. Clemson became a coeducational, civilian institution in 1955.

In 1963, with the admission of Harvey Gantt, Clemson became the first traditionally white

institution in South Carolina to desegregate since Reconstruction. With academic offerings

and research pursuits, the institution became Clemson University in 1964.

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

clemson.edu/about/ traditions .