Mark S. Steadman Jr. of Clemson, an Alumni Distinguished Professor of English and Writer in Residence Emeritus at Clemson University, died Thursday, Feb. 6.
Steadman was an esteemed member of the faculty for 39 years until his retirement in 1997. He taught a wide spectrum of classes at Clemson, including The American Novel, American Literature and Twentieth Century Fiction. He also started and taught a course on American Humor and Creative Writing. He was Writer-in-Residence at Clemson from 1980-1997.
He also was Visiting Professor of American Literature at the American University in Cairo, where he lived for a year with his wife, Jo Steadman, and his sons, Clay, Todd and Wade. Subsequently, he was granted a Fulbright Lecturer in American Literature at Leningrad State University in 1983 in the former Soviet Union.
He was predeceased by his son, Clayton, and survived by his wife, Joan Anderson Steadman, and sons Todd and Wade.
In addition to publishing dozens of short stories and articles, Steadman was the author of four novels: “McAfee County” (which was named Best First Novel of the Year by Britannica Books) “A Lions Share” (awarded the best work of fiction by a South Carolina writer), “Angel Child” and “Bang Up Season.”
A celebration of his life will take place at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 22, at Duckett Funeral Home in Central. In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to the Clayton Steadman Endowment at Clemson University by contacting the CU Foundation at 864-656-5896 or sending checks payable to the CU Foundation for the Clay Steadman Endowment to P.O. Box 1889, Clemson, SC 29633.
His full obituary is posted online.
