Although Clemson University’s first African-American student, Harvey Gantt,
was admitted in 1963, the first African-American athlete did not sign with Clemson until
1969. This thesis assesses the years leading up to athletic desegregation at Clemson
University, and explores the alleged barriers to the successful recruitment of African-
American athletes at Clemson. While there were legitimate obstacles to signing African-
American athletes, such as the academic standards of the Atlantic Coast Conference and
the personal preference of African-Americans choosing to go elsewhere, I argue that
these barriers alone were insufficient to preclude the signing of an African-American
athlete. Despite the open opposition to the desegregation of Clemson University in 1962
and 1963, by 1968 the Clemson students, administrators, and alumni largely supported
the recruitment of African-American athletes. This thesis utilizes the conceptual lens of
“deep play”, a concept described by anthropologist Clifford Geertz, to demonstrate how
the commitment to gaining a competitive advantage in sports trumped the societal and
political views of those who transitioned from overt resistance to Gantt to the definite
endorsement of recruiting African-American athletes. Despite the popularity of athletics
among the Clemson community, the historiography of Clemson athletics and
desegregation is minimal, and my research is intended to create a foundation for future
research into Clemson’s own history of desegregation and integration within their athletic
teams
