From the diary of the founder of Presbyterian College Sept. 22, 1878- May God Speed the work Monday afternoon, the 11th was a bright day in the annals of Clinton, inasmuch as it gave to this city the beginning of a college. Prof. Lee was directed to organize the first of his college classes, ... We propose to get up a regular college charter and to start with the intention of educating our young people to the best we can do. (W.P. Jacobs had also started an orphanage at that time) ... While we want a college good enough for anybody's children, it is especially for our own that our little college is set on foot. May God speed the work. > Learn More about PC History

William Plumer Jacobs

"I have lived for three great institutions: the First Presbyterian Church (of Clinton), the Presbyterian College, and the Thornwell Orphanage."

Thus wrote the Rev. William Plumer Jacobs in his will. The words underline a life of devoted Christian accomplishment which places him in the front ranks of eminent South Carolinians.

Dr. Jacobs founded two of these institutions-Presbyterian College and Thornwell Orphanage, and he played a dominant role in the development of both the city of Clinton and its First Presbyterian Church. All of these still feel the force of his imprint.

The Rev. William Plumer Jacobs was born in Yorkville (now York), S. C., on March 15, 1842. He died in Clinton on September 10,1917. For these 75 years, his frail body was driven in unselfish service toward fulfillment of his motto:

"I will strive and try not to gain great things for myself but to gain them for God."

His striving reached far beyond the pulpit with a versatility that touched many fields. In addition to breathing life into the church, college and orphanage, Dr. Jacobs served as author, reporter, publisher and took the lead in Clinton civic affairs. He helped secure the location of two railroads, led in the establishment of the Clinton High School Association and sponsored plans for founding a public library.

Perhaps most impressive of all, his life and work stand as enduring testimonials to the power of prayer. His personal diary is filled with references to despairing moments, when time and time again it seemed impossible for him to be able to continue. Then, miraculously-in response to specific prayers-the way would be cleared: a wagon-load of granite construction blocks would arrive; an unknown donor would send a gift; opposition turned to cooperation; an infirmity eased; and hopeless tangles became untangled.

Dr. Jacobs had a fertile background for his lifes work. His father-the Rev. Ferdinand Jacobs-served as founding pastor of the Yorkville Presbyterian Church and taught in four Presbyterian girls schools. Dr. Jacobs mother-Mary Elizabeth Redbrook Jacobs-had been an orphan, a fact believed to have been one of the inspirations for the orphanage. Thus, heredity and environment united to set young William Plumer Jacobs upon his course.

He entered Charleston College at 16, already steadfast in his decision to live for Christ. Great events whirled around him. While still in college, he witnessed the ill-fated Democratic convention in Charleston in the spring of 1860 (where the national party split), reported the state legislature in Columbia and Charleston the following fall for the Columbia paper The Carolinian and also reported the Secession convention in Charleston in December, 1860.

After finishing Charleston College in March, 1861, young Jacobs entered Columbia Theological Seminary, which had recently opened at Columbia. There he came under the influence of Dr. James Henley Thornwell, who so aroused the young mans admiration that he later named his orphanage for his old teacher. In December, 1861, he was called upon to act as reporter once more, this time at the organizational General Assembly of the Southern Presbyterian Church in Augusta, Ga.

He arrived in Clinton as a youthful preacher of 22 in May, 1864, called to his charge fresh from the seminary. Clinton was a crossroads town of barrooms and gambling houses then, a town that had never had a resident pastor of any denomination until this small, frail youth came.
In the words of his diary: "The town had a very unsavory name abroad. Liquor asserted its right to rule. Human life was not counted of high value."

But young Jacobs put his heart into this wicked town. He spent the remainder of his life there, turning down better offers in the burning belief that "a little country church could be made a tower of light and strength." Through quiet devotion, hard work and prayer, he proved his point-bringing orderliness to Clinton and making it the very center of South Carolina Presbyterianism. He was active in promoting civic advantages before the chamber of commerce was dreamed of.

Dr. Jacobs was an effective speaker and loved to preach, but he used his pen equally as effectively throughout his life in answering the challenge of church, college and orphanage. He established a printing operation. He founded and largely wrote the contents of four regularly issued publica-tions: True Witness, Farm and Garden, Our Monthly and Orphan Work. These were in addition to other periodicals.

Care of children had always been close to William Jacobs thoughts, so it was not unusual that before he had been in Clinton ten years, he set his heart upon an orphanage. With no funds and only the small Clinton congregation supporting him, it seemed an impossible task. A ten-year-old fatherless boy handed the young pastor his first contribution-50 cents- and from that beginning Thornwell grew. Three years after the 50 cents donation, on Oct. 1, 1875, a two-story building called the Home of Peace start of Thornwell Orphanage, the third oldest institution of its kind under the care of the Presbyterian Church US. Its first teacher was Miss Emma Witherspoon, granddaughter of a signer of the Declaration of Inde-pendence.

At the end of Dr. Jacobs 42 years as president, that one building had grown to 25 buildings scattered over 30 acres; its eight orphans, to more than 300.

Five years after establishing the orphanage, Dr. Jacobs founded Presbyterian College. The institution-first called Clinton College-was organized under the ownership and management of local Presbyterians. As president of the Board of Trustees for 25 years, the founder remained its driving force until 1904. At that time it came under full support and possession of Presbyterians of South Carolina.

Not the least of Dr. Jacobs contributions to society has been the legacy of family service passed on to future generations. All of the five children born to him and his wife, the former Mary Dillard, and many of their grandchildren and great-grandchildren received degrees at Presbyterian College. Daughter Florence, one of three graduates in the first graduating class in 1883, married textile industrialist W. J. Bailey of Clinton. Son J. Ferdinand Jacobs 87 went on to become a minister, PC professor and and advertising-printing executive who handled the account of the Thomas Edison Co. William States Jacobs 90 also entered the Presbyterian ministry and served in Houston, Tex., where he had another career as a cattleman who introduced Brahma cattle into this country. John Dillard Jacobs 92 became an Atlanta medical doctor and business executive, the president of two companies. And Thornwell Jacobs 94 served for many years as president of Oglethorpe University in Atlanta.

Grandson William P. Jacobs II, a 1914 graduate and business execu-tive, came in as president of PC for ten years (1935-45) to guide the col-lege through the critical ramifications of the financial depression and World War II. And other descendants have served PC well through the years as trustees, alumni leaders and strong supporters.

When as a timid young pastor he first came to Clinton, William Plumer Jacobs had only 47 unorganized members in his congregation. He served the First Presbyterian Church for 47 years, until physical infirmities forced his resignation, and he left the congregation of some 300 strong with a magnificent granite house of worship.

Many people laughed at this country pastors big dreams. They called his orphanage Jacobs Folly, and scorned his plans for a college in Clinton. But in the end, when both had proved successful, they beat a path to his door to pay him honor.