USC Upstate library receives first named book collection

By Nicole Jamison, USC Upstate

The library at USC Upstate has received its first named book collection, the Thomas Moore Craig Collection of Southern History and Literature.

Tom Moore Craig Jr. and his sister, Susan Craig Murphy, donated the collection to the campus in honor of their father, who died in 1962. The collection is named for him.

"My sister and I are pleased with the interest USC Upstate has shown in this donation and appreciate the cooperation of Frieda Davison, dean of the library and the Office of University Advancement in expediting the transfer," Craig said.

"We are the fortunate beneficiaries of Tom and Susan's generosity," said Susan Hodge, senior director of development in the Office of University Advancement. "Tom and Susan are educators with passionate interests in regional history and dedicated volunteers and leaders in our community."

Craig, who completed his Ph.D. in educational administration at USC Columbia, also has donated other books to the Caroliniana Library at USC Columbia.

The collection consists of 228 books, nearly all of which directly relate to South Carolina or Southern history. Many of the books are rare, and some are autographed.

"I wanted the books to stay in Spartanburg County," Craig said. "USC Upstate is also anticipating, in the future, building a new library that would include a rare books area. I felt this would be a good home for them. Many of these books are about local history, about local people. This would be an additional resource for local historians."

According to Davison, this collection includes a group of first edition books by South Carolina authors. "There are some key publications in it, such as a 1925 volume set of the History of South Carolina, by Snowden," Davison said. "There is also an 1847 edition of William Walker's A Southern Harmony."

The book is a shape-note songbook. "Singin' Billy Walker," as he was called, was a music master from Spartanburg in the 1840s and 1850s who traveled and held singing events in different towns. He published the book of shape-note music to help people sing who couldn't read music.

The song "Amazing Grace" was first published in an edition of this book. In the edition Craig donated to Upstate, the publication information at the bottom of Walker's introduction reads "Spartanburg, SC 1847."

"Given that Spartanburg received its charter as a town in 1831, 1847 is a pretty early year for something to have been published here," Hodge said.

Walker's book also has another tie to USC Upstate. When Hodge and Davison first surveyed the books Craig wanted to donate, Craig handed Hodge a book and told her she had held it once before in 1976.

"In 1976 I taught a summer course here at USC Upsate, music appreciation," Hodge said. "It was the bicentennial. We all went downtown to the Magnolia Cemetery where Billy Walker is buried, and we stood around the grave and all sang from this book.

"My father inherited the nucleus of the collection from grandparents and other relatives," Craig said. "He was a South Carolina history buff himself. Over the years he added to the collection books that were of interest to him, either nonfiction or fiction. He knew the authors of many of the more contemporary books, and many of the additions to the collection are autographed."

Thomas Moore Craig, for whom the collection is named, has deep roots in South Carolina and USC. He was born on October 11, 1905, in Marion. He graduated from the University in 1928 and from Harvard University Graduate School of Business in 1929. After working on Wall Street from 1929 to 1932, he moved to the R.S. Dickson & Company in Charlotte, Winston-Salem, and Spartanburg, where he worked for 22 years.

In 1936, the elder Craig moved to his family property, Walnut Grove Plantation, in Moore, where he renamed his portion of the land "Cragmoor Farms" and began raising cattle and farming pine trees. This land has been in his family for generations. King George III originally granted several parcels of land, which consisted of more than 3,000 acres, to his ancestor Charles Moore in 1763. The town of Moore is also named for this family.

Craig was a member of the Spartanburg Rotary Club and an ardent supporter of the work of the Spartanburg County Foundation. In 1961, he donated the family's original home, Walnut Grove Plantation, and eight surrounding acres to the Spartanburg County Historical Association for restoration and continued operation.

"My father was a very big advocate for public education throughout his life and for creating opportunities for students," the younger Craig said. "I think he would feel that this campus is a very fitting place for his collection."

The younger Craig, who is a lifelong resident of Spartanburg County, graduated from Davidson College with a BA in history and French. He received a MAT in social studies from Converse College and completed coursework for a Ph.D. in educational administration at USC Columbia. He spent 30 years working in Spartanburg County School District 7 as a teacher, guidance counselor, and principal of Jesse Boyd Elementary school. He retired in 1996 as director of guidance at Spartanburg High School.

In addition to his career in public education, he served in the S.C. House of Representatives from 1972 to 1975. He was the gubernatorial appointee to the S.C. Commission on Higher Education from 1986 to 1991. He is a former board member of both the Spartanburg County Historical Association and Hatcher Garden and Woodland Preserve, and he is a former chairman of the City of Spartanburg Accommodations Tax Committee. Currently, he is president of Tyger River Properties, Inc., which deals with real estate development, and Heritage Farms and Nursery, Inc., an ornamental plant and tree farm.

"Tom Craig is our link to how far back his family goes in this community," Hodge said. "I give him so much credit for realizing how wonderful it is for us in Spartanburg County to hold some of this material."

Craig's sister, Susan Craig Murphy, is also deeply committed to both Spartanburg County and to public service. She is a graduate of Spartanburg High School and Converse College, where she received BA and MAT degrees. She is a retired elementary and kindergarten teacher from District 7. She is an active member of numerous civic and history-based organizations, such as the Spartanburg County Historical Association, National Society of Colonial Dames of America, and The Battle of Cowpens Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution. She and her husband, John, have two sons, Jack and Craig.

According to Davison, the books in the Thomas Moore Craig Collection of Southern History and Literature will be listed in the library catalog and housed in an special collections area, which is locked and accessed by appointment only. To make an appointment to see items in the collection, contact Davison at 864-503-5610.

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