December 7

December 7 in Clemson History

• 1941: Japanese surprise attack on the U.S. Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor, Oahu, Hawaii, at 12:35 p.m. Eastern Time, forces the country out of an isolationist attitude.
• 1943: A memorial service is held in the fieldhouse at noon for the 63 Clemson war dead. (The Tiger, "Clemson To Honor 63 War Dead December 7", Wednesday 1 December 1943.) The Liberty ship SS A. Frank Lever, named for United States Senator and Clemson Life Trustee Asbury Francis Lever, is launched at 3:35 p.m. at Southeastern Shipbuilding Corporation, Savannah, Georgia, one of 88 Libertys the yard built. Mrs. A. Frank Lever serves as the sponsor.
• 1944: A memorial service is held in the Chapel (Tillman Auditorium) for Clemson military personnel killed in action in World War II.
• 1977: Senator William Proxmire (D-Wisconsin) appears in Tillman Auditorium at 8 p.m. as the final Speakers Bureau presentation of the semester. At the time, the senator has the longest unbroken record in the history of the Senate in answering rollcall votes, having not missed one of some 5,000 since April 1966.
• 1979: Pickens County authorities begin two days of arrests of some eight or ten students on drug charges culminating an investigation that began in mid-year. Star Trek-The Motion Picture opens in 850 theatres in the U.S., ending a decade-long drought of the Trek saga (the animated series, notwithstanding...)
• 1984: President Bill Atchley calls a meeting attended by director of athletics Bill McLellan, the vice president for student affairs, Dean Cox, and Bobby Robinson, the assistant athletic director. Atchley informs them that SLED, the State Law Enforcement Agency, will investigate the serious athletic scandal unfolding. "According to the Greenville News, McLellan begged for an internal investigation, but Atchley refused. [Solicitor William L.] Traxler had already called Atchley to tell him of the SLED investigation, but McLellan led many to believe the inquiry was Atchley's choice." (Wunder, John R., "A Good Sport: Walter Thompson Cox, 1985-1986", McKale, Donald M., editor, "Tradition: A History of the Presidency of Clemson University", Mercer University Press, Macon, Georgia, 1988, ISBN 0-86554-296-1, page 254, citing articles in The Greenville News, Greenville, South Carolina, 5 March 1985, and The Tiger, 11 January 1985.)
• 1985: The Lady Tigers Basketball team secure a win in their 200th game, with a 62-61 defeat of South Carolina in Littlejohn Coliseum.
• 2006: The "Thursday Open" provides golf fans a chance to support the Clemson University Golf program with a meet at the Thornblade Club, Greer, South Carolina - registration at 10 a.m., shotgun start at 11 a.m. - followed by the "Golf Gathering" at the same club, 6:30 p.m.-onward. For information, go to www.tigergolfgathering.com. The Clemson University Symphony Orchestra in the Brooks Center at 8 p.m., admission $5 for adults, free for students, general seating. Beethoven composed his Triple Concerto for a one-of-a-kind ensemble of piano, violin, and cello, accompanied by orchestra. Hear it performed by the three Parrini siblings: pianist Fabio (North Greenville College), violinist Chiara (I Solisti Veneti), and cellist Alberto (American Chamber Players). Other familiar works balance the program.

December 6

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