James Nelson Frierson (1874-1960) was Dean of the University of South Carolina Law School from 1920 until his retirement in 1946.  He had returned to South Carolina to teach law in 1908 after practicing in Buffalo, NY, following his graduation from Columbia University (New York, NY) Law School in 1899.  Uncle Nelson, as we all called him, was my grandfather’s (John Lawrence Frierson (1883-1963)) oldest brother and it is through Nelson’s diligence in saving and collecting family papers that I will be able to put together many of the articles that will appear on this site.   The photograph to the left shows Dean Frierson in a publication of the USC Law School called “Our Law School, 1946-1947”.  The publication has a historical sketch of the Law School and photographs of the students attending the law school at that time.  Additionally, a complete list of all the graduates from 1868-1946 is given along with a list of all law faculty members and their dates of service.  Several pages of the publication go under the title “Something of Our History” by E. F. Hollings, parenthetically subtitled “If You are Allergic to Nostalgia, Don’t Read This” !  E. F. Hollings of course is Ernest Frederick (“Fritz”) Hollings, a senior law student pictured in the Second Section photograph below, later to become Governor of South Carolina (1959-1963) and U.S. Senator (1966-2005).  Another famous senior law student pictured in the First Section photograph below is my father, George Dargan Frierson.

G. Dargan Frierson, First Row, Second from the Left

E. F. Hollings, Second Row, Second from the Left

My first cousin, John Lawrence Frierson III, told an interesting story this past week that Mr. Hollings, related to him about Dean Nelson Frierson.   Lawrence bumped into Mr. Hollings at a retail establishment in Charleston recently and after introducing himself, he thanked him for his service to the state of South Carolina.  Mr. Hollings asked Lawrence to repeat his name, and then said, “Are you related to Nelson Frierson, who was the Dean of the University of South Carolina Law School?”  After hearing that Nelson was Lawrence’s great-uncle, Fritz related (in his characteristic Charleston low country accent!) a detailed account of how upon his return from  World War II, he was two weeks late in applying for admission to the Law School.  But after a personal meeting with Dean Frierson, who heard Fritz’s story during that interview, he was admitted by special handwritten note from Nelson!   “Take this note down the hall”, Nelson said… and Fritz Hollings was able to attend the Law School without delay.   “Dean Frierson made it possible for me to go to Law School that year and I’ve always appreciated the help he gave me at that critical time of my life!”