McGehee, Larry Thomas, 1936-
Papers, 1982-2006
3 cubic foot, in 3 boxes
Biographical note: A native of Paris, Tennessee, Larry McGehee earned his undergraduate degree at Transylvania University in Kentucky in 1958 and his seminary, master’s and doctoral degrees in religious studies at Yale University. Embarking on a career in teaching and in university administration, he was an executive vice president at the University of Alabama before becoming chancellor of the University of Tennessee’s Martin campus in 1971. In 1972, his commencement address at the University of Alabama, which ran 250 words, was published in Time Magazine. Following his service at UT-Martin, he served as a special assistant to the president of the University of Tennessee system, and in 1982, was appointed vice president for development and professor of religion at Wofford. Serving in a variety of administrative capacities for Presidents Joab Lesesne and Benjamin Dunlap, McGehee guided the college through a year-long planning process that resulted in approval in 1987 of “To Improve Quality,” Wofford’s first masterplan. McGehee continued to guide planning at the college, and was instrumental in cultivating relationships with the F. W. Olin Foundation and the Corella and Bertram Bonner Foundation. These two foundations made substantial gifts to the college, one for a technology building and the other for service learning scholarships. During his entire tenure at Wofford, he wrote a weekly newspaper column, Southern Seen, distributed widely in newspapers throughout the South. For many years, he taught a popular spring semester seminar on religion in American life. He retired from administration in 2005, but continues to teach and work on the campus.
Organization note: Arranged into three series: Southern Seen; Religion in American Life; and miscellaneous.
Access note: unrestricted
Summary note: The papers consist of McGehee’s Southern Seen manuscript columns, arranged chronologically from 1982 to 2005. Other items of note include materials from the Religion in American Life course and a copy of the 1972 University of Alabama commencement address on DVD.
Citation: Cite as: Papers of Larry T. McGehee, Archives, Sandor Teszler Library, Wofford College
Location: Archives, Sandor Teszler Library, Wofford College, Spartanburg, SC 29303
Related Materials: Records of the Evaluation-Planning-Marketing Office
Administrative notes: Arranged by Phillip Mullinnix, finding aid prepared January 2, 2007 by Phillip Stone
Finding Aid: Folder Listing
Box 1
Southern Seen Manuscripts
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
Box 2
Southern Seen Manuscripts
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
Box 3
Southern Seen Manuscripts
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
Religion in American Life
2000
2001
2002
2003
2003 Collected Papers
2005 Collected Papers
2006 Collected Papers
Miscellaneous
Honorary Degree, Transylvania University, 2003
Commencement Address, University of Alabama, 1972
Southern Seen Review, 2006