Pierrine Smith Byrd papers

Collection contains materials related to Byrd's alumni activities including correspondence, membership lists, receipts, clippings, and programs. Other items include awards, medals, and clippings relating to her college days, alumni activities, and her contributions to rose culture. Materials relating to College of Charleston alumni activities and Byrd's membership on the Alumni Assistance Committee include letters and invitations from the Alumni Association, thank you notes for contributions, receipts, membership lists, and programs from various annual meetings. Many of the materials relate to Byrd's 50th class reunion, alumni meetings, and money for scholarships. Included are Byrd's personal letters from alumni including James M. Arthur. A photograph of Arthur and his family is in the collection. Additional general and personal letters are from staff members at the College of Charleston and others. Byrd's medals and pins include a 1921 alumni medal for highest general honors which was awarded to her when she was a Junior at the College of Charleston, a Pi Kappa Phi fraternity pin, the Byrds' class rings, a 1967 silver medal from the American Rose Society for contributions to rose culture, and three pins (1979, 1982, 1991) for rose judging. The Bingham medal (debate team) for 1919 won by George Byrd of the College of Charleston is also included. The collection contains clippings about the College of Charleston, the first female students at the College of Charleston, the Charleston College branch of the Y.W.C.A. (1919), Byrd's honors as a freshman (1919), Byrd's college basketball team (1919-1921), her college commencement (1922), an honorary degree (Doctor of Letters) awarded to Byrd by the College of Charleston (1977), and other honors and awards. An added group of papers relates primarily to Memminger High and Normal School, where Byrd graduated in 1918. During her senior year, she created a manuscript annual ("Commencement Memory Book") containing photographs, essays, clippings, etc. This album contains approximately 110 original photographs of classmates, teachers, and social events, and it includes a handwritten history of the school and Class of 1918, a typewritten class prophecy by Byrd, congratulatory notes by teachers, reminiscences by classmates, printed programs and cards, and similar material. Three separate file folders relate to the 50th and 60th reunions of the Memminger Class of 1918; one file folder has Byrd family photographs; and one folder has miscellaneous letters and clippings.