University historian discusses importance of archives on new podcast episode

Clemson University Historian Otis Pickett talks about how he has used archives in his work and the importance of archives in telling the University’s story on the latest episode of the “Tigers in the Archive” podcast.

Pickett, who is a Clemson alumnus, talks about how he used archives for his work during his time as an undergraduate, through graduate school, and today in his research, teaching and public outreach efforts.

His conversation with podcast host Dr. Tara Wood, instruction and outreach archivist and lecturer in the Department of History, covers a variety of topics, from the importance of donating to the archives to some of the more unique items in the collection to Pickett’s family history at the University. They even discuss the important issue of correctly pronouncing “Clemson.”

Pickett joined the University as historian in 2022. Prior to that, he was an associate professor of history at Mississippi College, where he also served as director of undergraduate and graduate programs in Social Studies Education. He earned his doctorate in U.S. History from the University of Mississippi, Master of Arts degrees in American History from both the University of Charleston and the Citadel, and his Bachelor of Arts in History from Clemson.

“Tigers in the Archive” shares Clemson history through an exploration of Special Collections and Archives materials. It is available on Apple Podcasts, Google, Spotify and other major podcasting platforms.