A house RESOLUTION

TO DECLARE WEDNESDAY, MARCH 5, 2025, AS "CLEMSON DAY" IN THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA.

Whereas, Clemson University was founded in 1889 through a bequest to the State of South Carolina from Thomas Green Clemson, a Philadelphia-born, European-educated engineer, musician, and artist who married John C. Calhoun's daughter, Anna, and settled at her family estate in South Carolina; and

Whereas, Clemson's campus is the entire State of South Carolina, with the university having a presence in every county in South Carolina, agriculture research centers from the Piedmont to the coast, youth programs that serve more than a hundred thousand young people per year, and innovation campuses devoted to research and economic development in Anderson, Greenville, Greenwood, and North Charleston to support both existing and emerging industry clusters ranging from agribusiness and manufacturing to aviation and advanced materials; and

Whereas, Clemson's annual economic impact is $6.4 billion, resulting in 37,100 jobs statewide and generating $114.4 million in annual tax revenue, according to a recent external study; and

Whereas, Clemson University is a Carnegie Foundation Tier 1 Research Institution, which puts it among the top universities in the nation in research output; and

Whereas, Clemson University, which continues to be a highly ranked public university in America, has earned top rankings for graduation rates, value, efficiency, and return on investment while maintaining an outstanding student experience; and

Whereas, Clemson University is home to the state's first-ever veterinary school, the Harvey S. Peeler Jr. College of Veterinary Medicine, which is expected to enroll its inaugural class in the fall of 2026; and

Whereas, Clemson University, which received more than 62,000 applications for enrollment this year, offers a path to a Clemson degree to more than 93% of South Carolina applicants each year; and

Whereas, Clemson University enrolls more than 25,000 undergraduate and graduate students and has 190,000 living alumni, with nearly 103,000 living in South Carolina; and

Whereas, Clemson University is part of a national system of land-grant universities and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, providing statewide research, extension, and regulatory programs (Public Service Activities) to enhance economic growth in South Carolina's agribusiness and forestry industries through a continuous flow of knowledge to farmers, foresters, and land managers; and

Whereas, for more than one hundred thirty years, Clemson University has continued to fulfill the covenant between its founder and the people of South Carolina as a "high seminary of learning" and has continued to improve the economy of the State through its historical land-grant responsibilities of teaching, research, and extended public service. Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives:

That the members of the South Carolina House of Representatives, by this resolution, declare Wednesday, March 5, 2025, as "Clemson Day" in the State of South Carolina.

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be presented to President James P. Clements, PhD, of Clemson University.

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