The materials in the collection date from 1994-2012, with most being created from 2002 to 2012. The collection documents Patirica McAbee's service as a member of the Board of Trustees and her appointment as the first female member of the Board of Trustees in 1993. Also, she served on the Board of Directors for the Clemson Foundation Committee and was President of the Friends of Lee Gallery. During Mrs. McAbee's service, Clemson advanced as a leading institution in South Carolina by establishing the International Center for Automotive Research and new degree programs, such as a bachelor's degree in forensic science and certification in public health. Clemson's campus also underwent renovations to its Memorial Stadium and Baruch Renovation Expansion project during this period.

The papers in this collection consist of four series: Board of Trustees, Friends of Lee Gallery, The Clemson Foundation, and Personal. The Board of Trustees files are arranged chronologically and alphabetically within the chronological arrangement. In contrast, the rest of the files are arranged alphabetically by folder title. Visual materials such as photographs, computer files, video cassettes, tapes, and DVDs are physically filed at the end of the collection.

The Board of Trustees Series includes agendas, minutes, architectural drawings, and quarterly committee meetings documenting Patricia McAbee's active tenure as a Clemson Board of Trustees member from 1993 to 2012. During this period, she served on various committees, including the Education Policy and Executive Audit Committees. The series also contains email and letter correspondence from President Jim Baker, State of the Union addresses, and his annual president report cards from 2003 to 2011 to trustee members. Additionally, it features newspaper clippings on Clemson's admission rules and the Bicentennial Celebration in 2007, as well as letters regarding Clemson's Athletic Admissions Review Committee decision (AARC) affecting its football and swim programs. Furthermore, the series includes study reports on campus planning, degree program creation, tuition rates, and reports from the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education.

Mrs. McAbee contributed to developing the Center for Visual Arts for Clemson's Lee Gallery. She was President of the Gallery's Strategic Planning Committee. The Friends of Lee Gallery series consists primarily of board meeting minutes, agendas, committee reports, bylaws, correspondence on sponsorships and future meeting dates. There is also material relating to program planning of art exhibitions to promote the gallery and raise awareness of its importance, fundraising and assessment planning. Also included are budget reports, gallery promotion materials, presentations such as planning events for exhibition openings, board meeting notes, committee reports, and Center for Visual Arts fundraising reports.

The Clemson Foundation series includes reports from its various subunit committees, such as the Budget Review, Investment, Development, and Campaign Leadership Steering committees, on which Mrs. McAbee served. These reports cover the University's fundraising efforts, spending balances, audit reports, and feasibility studies conducted from 2002 to 2009. Additionally, the series contains trustee briefings and board member nomination reports of the foundation committees.

The personal series includes birthday cards, correspondence letters, and invitations to Mrs. McAbee for celebration events such as the Greenville Zoo Circle of Friends and the National Scholars Program at Clemson University. Additionally, it features various sports memorabilia items reflecting her interest in Clemson Football games, including lanyards from each ACC game she attended. Mrs. McAbee's charitable contributions to Clemson and other organizations are also documented in this series. They include donations to The Clemson Fund, Palmetto Challenge, Clemson's National Scholars Program, Clemson Athletics Program, The Salvation Army, Upstate Forever Conservation, and the American Cancer Society.

Researchers will find this series particularly interesting as Patricia McAbee was appointed the first female member of the Board of Trustees in 1993. The collection provides valuable insights into the governance and strategic decisions at Clemson University during her tenure. Additionally, this period saw significant modern advancements, including constructing an academic student success center, introducing a bachelor's degree program in biomedical engineering, and constructing the Clemson International Automotive Research Campus (CU-ICAR) in 2008. These developments highlight Clemson's commitment to academic excellence, innovation, and industry collaboration, making this series a rich resource for understanding the University's evolution and impact.