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Enoch Walter Sikes Presidential Records - Correspondence

 Collection
Identifier: Series-0002

Scope and Contents

This series contains the correspondence and related photographs of E. W. Sikes as President and President Emeritus. Frequent correspondents include members of the Board of Trustees: Paul Quattlebaum and James F. Byrnes; J. Rion McKissick, President of the University of South Carolina and Shelton Phelps, President of Winthrop College; and Olin D. Johnston, Governor of South Carolina.

Topics of the letters concern tuition costs, interstate trade, a fertilizer audit and investigation, cotton spinning research, cotton marketing, rural electrification, and forestry in South Carolina. The series also contains folders of information about recipients of honorary degrees awarded by Clemson College.

Dates

  • 1932 - 1941

Creator

Biographical Note

Enoch Walter Sikes was born 19 May 1868 in Union County, North Carolina, the son of John C. and Jane Austin Sikes. After receiving his early education in the field schools of North Carolina, he was graduated in 1891 from Wake Forest College with a master of arts degree in history. In 1894 he continued the study of history at Johns Hopkins University under Henry Adams and Woodrow Wilson. At Johns Hopkins, Sikes wrote his doctoral dissertation entitled The Transition of North Carolina from Colony to Commonwealth and received a Ph. D. degree in 1897.

Sikes returned to Wake Forest in 1897 to teach history and political science. In 1900 he married Ruth Wingate, the daughter of the president of the college. From their marriage two children, Ruth Janet and Walter were born.

In addition to the responsibilities of professor and father, Sikes served as a state senator in the North Carolina legislature from 1910-1911, and as Dean of Wake Forest College during his last year at that institution.

In 1916 Sikes accepted the presidency of Coker College at Hartsville, South Carolina - a post he kept until July 1925 when the Board of Trustees at Clemson College elected him president. At Clemson, Sikes recommended many reforms, among them the creation of a department of arts and sciences. He also served in leadership positions of civic and religious organizations, for example, Rotary, Kiwanis, and the South Carolina Baptist Convention. He retired in July 1940, died six months later, 9 January 1941, and was buried at Cemetery Hill in Clemson. The author of several books, Sikes also lectured on a variety of topics.

Extent

0.6 Cubic Feet

Language of Materials

English

Arrangement

The series is arranged chronologically and by alphabetically by subject. Photographs relating to this series have been separated and placed in Series 100. See the separation list for the location and description.

Ownership and Custodial History

The records were maintained in the office of E. W. Sikes before coming to the library.

Separation List

Photographs relating to this series have been removed and placed within Series 100, comprised of Clemson University photographs. These include: James A. Farley, 1940; Fort Hill, 1933; Post Office Dedication (See also James A. Farley); Reunions for Classes of 1908 and 1928; Reunion, 1914; Reunion, June 1933 (11 prints with 8 negatives) - individuals unidentified; Richland County Public Library Truck (3 prints), 1934.

Processing Information

This series was processed by Dennis Taylor, University Archivist, in June of 1987.

Creator

Status
Completed
Language of description
Undetermined
Script of description
Code for undetermined script

Repository Details

Part of the Clemson University Libraries Special Collections and Archives Repository

Contact:
230 Kappa St.
Clemson SC 29634 U.S.A. US