Born in Bowman and raised in Columbia SC, Nathaniel Spells is the first African American to receive a degree in building construction from Clemson University. In this interview, he discusses his decision to attend Clemson, his coursework, student life, and the tight-knit community that existed among the few Black students then enrolled on campus.
Spells arrived at Clemson University in Fall 1968. Like Harvey Gantt before him, Spells enrolled in the school of architecture. His passion, however, was building construction. Spells speaks fondly of his time in the program, and he recalls both the names of his professors – one of whom visited him on his job after he graduated – as well as the classes he took, including civil engineering class, concrete and steel design, and plumbing. Ultimately, he became a member of Sigma Lambda Chi, an international construction honor society.
While attending Clemson, Spells said he did not always feel as if he were a part of the larger student body culture. There were times when he heard racial slurs hurled at him as he walked across campus, but he refused to let it deter him. Instead, he was intent on getting an education.
Like other students during that time, Spells recalls the unity and the bond shared among Black students during his time at Clemson. Spells was a member of the Student League for Black Identity (SLBI) and he remembers forming both a basketball team and a touch football league that played against other Clemson fraternities and groups.