Scroll of Honor
Article by Lindsay Bryda
Directly across the enterance from Clemson’s Memorial Stadium stands the Scroll of Honor in Memorial Park, Clemson’s tribute to those that gave the ultimate sacrifice. The Scroll of Honor Creative Inquiry is led by a multidisciplinary team of faculty including Dr. Martin Holland in the Department of Landscape Architecture and Dr. Jan Homevik in the Department of English. The faculty and student team facilitates awareness of this integral part of Clemson’s history and continuing tradition. They work closely with the Clemson Corps, faculty or alumni that are veterans, to manage the grounds and keep records of Clemson’s fallen servicemen and servicewomen.
The Scroll of Honor is a tribute to the 491 students and alumni that gave their lives; their names in stone are a permanent feature of the campus and country they so valiantly defended. Clemson’s military tradition is a proud one that is as old as the university itself. During World War II, Clemson sent more officers to the army than any school other than West Point and Texas A&M. This history translates into the continuing emphasis on military history in the Clemson identity.
The Creative Inquiry team is in the process of designing an interactive kiosk and a mobile app that will highlight the stories of the brave men and women listed on the Scroll of Honor for users while visiting Memorial Park. Respect for these servicemembers is evident on campus, but especially so with the members of this project. “I am honored to know that I am attending a school that produced such brave people who fought to give the freedoms that I enjoy today. This project is my personal way to show my appreciation to those who made the ultimate sacrifice,” Sara Murphy, a junior biological sciences major, said.
“I am honored to know that I am attending a school that produced such brave people who fought to give the freedoms that I enjoy today. This project is my personal way to show my appreciation to those who made the ultimate sacrifice” -Sara Murphy
Some of the names on the Scroll of Honor are as recent as the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, meaning that students and faculty knew the people the names belonged to before they became memorialized in Memorial Park. The Scroll of Honor sends a clear message to our veterans that they matter to the Clemson family and so do their comrades who did not make it home.