Erskine's Grier Monument

Erskine's Grier Monument: 100 Years And Still Standing

By Amber Sheldon '04

Many Erskine students know little about the statue that stands between Reid Hall and McCain Library on the Erskine campus, and even less about the man the monument honors. But the memorial to Dr. William Moffatt Grier, who served as president of Erskine College from 1871 to 1899, is a century old this year and is believed to be the first statue in South Carolina erected in honor of an educator.

Erskine students glance at the Grier monument as they rush to class or convocation. Some give it a second look, and some have enjoyed "dressing" the statue on certain occasions. Sophomore Adam Lynn said that though the statue is often taken for granted, “It’s a reminder of our college's heritage, as well as a beautiful work of art.”

According to A History of Erskine College, by Dr. Lowry Ware, and newspaper accounts from more than a century ago, Grier, the fifth president of Erskine College, was considered a remarkable man.

When Grier tried to retire in 1896 to focus on his appointments as the editor of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian and the head of Erskine Theological Seminary, the Board of Trustees refused to let him resign his post, citing a petition signed by every faculty member and student of the college — except the president's brother, P. L. Grier — asking that he remain in office.

Unfortunately, as a result of the continuous strain placed on him by his multiple commitments, Grier’s health deteriorated rapidly in 1898, and on Sept. 3 of that year he died.

On June 10, 1903, the Grier monument was unveiled during commencement exercises. Dr. E.P. McClintock, chairman of the Board of Trustees, gave a brief history of the monument, noting that the presidents of all the colleges in South Carolina as well as South Carolina Supreme Court judges, South Carolina legislators and many other citizens donated funds for a memorial to Grier. Grier's daughters, Helen and Agnes, unveiled the statue, and Dr. Henry Quigg of Conyers, Ga., delivered an address.

According to the May 20, 1903 issue of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian, the statue bore a striking resemblance to Grier. The identity of the monument’s sculptor is unknown, but R. E. Butler of the Butler Marble Works, Baltimore, Md., supplied the Italian marble of which the statue is made.

At the unveiling, a student who knew Grier by reputation but had never met him was overheard to say, “I wish I could have known him.” One hundred years later, senior Peter Bechtel said he took time to read the words carved on the statue's base and was similarly impressed by Grier’s life and achievements.

Describing Grier as citizen, soldier, educator, and servant of Christ, and outlining his contribution to his college, seminary, and denomination, the monument's inscription offers this commentary on his life:

His service is measured not by years, but by results.
He still lives in hundreds of useful lives to which he
gave inspiration and guidance.

A poem printed beneath one of the first photographs taken of the Grier monument, which appeared in the June 10, 1903 edition of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian, pays quaint tribute to a man who helped shape Erskine's history:

This splendid monument from base to bust
Will sooner or later crumble to dust;
But our memorial grounded on love
Will last always below, always above.