B-Note November 21, 2019
November 21, 2019
Greetings fellow Tigers!
It was another amazing season in Death Valley! The Tigers remain undefeated after a 52-3 victory against Wake Forest during our final home game of the season. Following a bye week, the Tigers will finish out the regular season in Columbia at noon on Nov. 28 when they face our in-state rivals, the South Carolina Gamecocks. We’re also looking forward to traveling to Charlotte on Dec. 7, where the Tigers will compete in the ACC Championship Game. Go Tigers! Beat the Gamecocks!
On Sunday, we wrapped up the weekend with the Clemson Annual Major Gift Clubs Family Breakfast. Each year, the breakfast gives us an opportunity to express our gratitude to our donors for their annual gifts to Clemson. Thank you to all who were able to attend on Sunday, and thank you for your support to our University! You can view photos from the breakfast here.
I hope you all will join me in keeping a couple of special members of our Clemson family in our thoughts and prayers. Louis Batson Jr., 91, trustee emeritus of Clemson University and father of senior director of annual giving Ann Smith, died Saturday, Nov. 16, 2019, in Greenville. Louis was elected to Clemson’s board of trustees in 1979 and served the maximum of three consecutive terms as chairman from 1985 to 1991. In 1987, Louis was selected to be a Successor Member of the board. Louis has left a legacy at Clemson through his mentorship and leadership that will live on through the past, present and future generations of Clemson students. The Clemson family is eternally grateful for Louis’s many years of leadership and support.
Louis, a 1948 Clemson graduate, was the recipient of numerous awards and honors for his service to our University, including the 1981 Distinguished Alumni Award and the Clemson Medallion, the University’s highest public honor, in 1988. Louis was also a charter member of the Clemson University Founder’s Club, a group of donors who give at least $10,000 annually to Clemson.
There will be a celebration of his life in the Sanctuary of Buncombe Street United Methodist Church in Greenville at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 24, with visitation to follow in the Orders Parlor. Details on memorials for the Phyllis and Louis P Batson Jr. Endowment, and his full obituary can be read here. I am so grateful to have personally known Louis over the years. He was truly a remarkable man!
I had the honor of joining Louis Batson Jr., as he received the Father of the Year Award from the Student Alumni Council.
Please also keep the family of Elsie Wilson in your thoughts and prayers. Elsie passed away on Nov. 14. Elsie and her family have been actively involved members of the local community and the Clemson family for many years. Elsie was an employee of the Southern Textile Association at Sirrine Hall with Clemson College beginning in 1941. She retired from Clemson University in 2000 as an executive assistant, having served seven presidents: R.C. Edwards, Bill Atchley, Max Lennon, Walter Cox, Deno Curris, Phil Prince and Jim Barker. She was elected Mother of the Year, and when she retired, she was recognized by the governor with the Order of the Silver Crescent for her dedicated service to the state of South Carolina. As a testament to her selflessness and love for Clemson University, the family has requested donations be made in Elsie’s memory to the H. Betts Wilson Scholarship Endowment. You can read Elsie’s obituary here.
B-Thankful!
The B-Note will take a break next Thursday as we gather with our friends and family to celebrate Thanksgiving. I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to each of you. Because of your dedication and commitment to Clemson, our University has never been stronger. Together, we are proving that Clemson is a championship university – on and off the field. Thank you, donors and friends, for shaping the future of Clemson University with your time, talent and treasures. I am immensely thankful for each of you.
Happy Thanksgiving! Go Tigers!
Brian O’Rourke