Earliest memories of Clemson: I moved
there just before entering first grade.
The school was Calhoun-Clemson in
1950 – the only school in town.  Grades
1 – 12.  We could walk to school and 
home.  Most families were one car families
so we could usually ride to school with
our fathers who mostly worked at the 
College (which, by the way, was male and
military).
     Our school was a 2-story brick 
building with grades 1 – 6 on the ground
floor -two sections in each grade which
means when friends now gather to reminisce
we say, “were you in Ms. Ramsey’s or
Mrs. Bigsby’s Room.”  It was always either/or.
     My first-grade teacher, Mrs. McCarthy
was artistic (and planted a seed, I
realize now, in my interest in art) she drew
in colored chalk on the black board
a giant cornucopia in the fall. I can
see it now – bright colors on the dark background.
     The school had sounds echoing as	
we walked into the halls – high ceilings
and all shiny wooden floors.  The
smell associated with those floors which
was not sweet but
pleasant was from the sawdust looking
material the janitor uses to sprinkle on the
floor (it must have absorbed dirt – we never 
knew). The whisking sound of the large
brooms accompanied that fragrance and
the floors were magically clean.
     Barefoot Day was the dated I
remember most – In mid – May we could
bring a dime and go barefoot at school
all day – a fundraiser for the high
school cheerleaders.  Our feet were tender
from the winter – at the end of 
the summer they would be leathery
as we played at recess around the
giant oak tree the grass felt soft
and all was great until someone
stepped on a wasp or bee.  But all was
worth it to experience the foot freedom.