Who Knew? A close look at Dr. Jerome V. Reel

When Dr. Jerome V. Reel, Jr. first came to Clemson on Spring Break, he hardly imagined retiring from here 43 years later - come February 28th, trademark shades and all, that’s exactly what he’ll do. Along the way, Dr. Reel has progressed from Faculty Member to Professor of History to Dean of Undergraduate to Senior Vice Provost & University Historian. Most importantly, he witnessed, researched & carried-on the Clemson legacy.

If you missed out on taking Professor Reel in History 100, chances are you can’t name all of Clemson’s presidents, don’t know the original football captains took the ‘Tigers’ nickname from Princeton, and that nerds played Dungeons & Dragons in the tunnels that crisscross our campus.

Dr. Reel took a few moments to share a few favorites of his time at Clemson.

• The kisses his wife received from the college deans upon walking at graduation, a week after the death of his parents
• The Special Reserves of Copernicus, Darwin, Galileo & Thackery, among others
• The tympanum of Riggs Hall
• The church bells ringing after the 1981 National Championship
• The courtyard of Lowry & Lee
• Looking toward Holtz from Riggs Field, the two plaques of tigers.

As Dr. Reel looks back, he’s glad that the university has kept a relatively close community atmosphere. Coming from a time when some students hitch-hiked from Anderson to make it to class, Dr. Reel hopes that students value the education they receive here. “As some of our students whiz past me in their Navigator SUV’s, I wonder if they would do that.”

While the professor witnessed countless improvements at Clemson, he believes two issues need more work - expanding the scope & prowess of the University’s graduate schools, and increasing the ethnic diversity on campus.

Dr. Reel will continue to work on archiving & cataloguing everything that is our university. If you see him around, ask a question or two - you’re sure to learn something from the oak tree of Clemson.