Tillman, Benjamin R. (Benjamin Ryan), 1847-1918

Farmer, governor of South Carolina, 1890-1894, and U.S. senator, 1895-1918; from Trenton (Edgefield Co.), S.C.

The series title represents "Personal Unprocessed" and was designed as such by staff at the South Caroliniana Library as part of their system of classifying collections. Apparently this part of the Tillman Papers was processed at a later date than the Incoming and Outgoing series. There is some evidence that these papers may have been gathered by John Walker McCain, a professor of English at Winthrop College and then given to the Caroliniana Library.

U.S. senator from and governor of South Carolina and farmer.

South Carolina governor, United States senator and leader of the farmers' movement in South Carolina. He worked to establish Clemson and Winthrop Colleges; create the direct primary system and the state dispensary system for the sale of alcohol; and regulate the railroads. As Senator, he championed the cause of free silver, the regulation of monopolies and trusts, and the development of a strong navy. As a Democrat and populist, he opposed the Peace of Paris, the Philippine War, and the monetary policies of the Republican administrations of McKinley, Roosevelt, and Taft. Tillman was a strong supporter of Wilson until his death in 1918.

Benjamin Ryan Tillman, 1878-1950, served as his father's secretary, ran for Congress and later worked for the US Department of Justice.