History

(Revised December 31, 2007)

The Association was founded in 1970 with two major focuses, and they remain our mission today:

  1. Afford the opportunity for fellowship among our members.
  2. Honor former Clemson University student athletes, coaches, etc., through election to the Clemson University Athletic Hall of Fame.

We have just added another goal to our mission and that is to provide “outreach” to former Clemson student athletes. Our intent is to stay in contact with former student athletes, encouraging them to become more active in University affairs.

The Association is most active during football season, since that is the time during which the most student-athletes return to campus. Members are invited to “tailgate” in the Letterwinners Room, located in the Northeast Atrium of Littlejohn Coliseum. The room is open two hours before game time and remains open until just prior to kickoff. It is not open at halftime. A menu of BBQ, chicken fingers/hotdogs, all the trimmings as well as soft drinks and iced tea is served at no charge for the member and one guest. There is a nominal charge for additional guests who accompany the member .

The fiscal year of the Association is July 1- June 30, and annual dues are $25. In addition to the free tailgating at football game described above, members receive an I.D. card and auto decals free. A quarterly newsletter, PawTalk, in addition to this website, keeps the membership advised of Association affairs.

The membership includes male and female student athletes who received an athletic letter while at Clemson. We have approximately 1,000 members from the 19 current intercollegiate sports plus several members from sports no longer sponsored by the Clemson Department of Athletics (wrestling, boxing, fencing, etc.). The Association is managed by a Board of Directors, which meets twice annually.

The Board of Directors of the Association acts as the Athletic Hall of Fame nominating committee. Any former student athlete who excelled in athletics while at Clemson may be nominated and subsequently elected for Hall of Fame induction. In addition, coaches and other administrators who might not have been a student athlete at Clemson but who have contributed significantly to Clemson Athletics are eligible for Hall of Fame induction under the “Special Inductee” category. Since our first Hall of Fame induction in 1974, 218 individuals, representing all sports, have been inducted into the Hall of Fame.

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