CCU announces new Clark Chair in history
The Clark Chair was created by a gift from the late Lawrence and Jane Clark. The Clarks were Myrtle Beach residents who bequeathed more than $1.2 million to Coastal Carolina University. A retired military officer and history professor, Lt. Col. Clark (U.S. Army), with his wife Jane, requested that their gift be used to create an endowed chair in the Department of History, as well as to fund cultural arts programs and scholarships.
The Clark Chair provides opportunity and resources for a tenured faculty member in the Department of History to advance a scholarly agenda and to provide a related service component that benefits the Department of History and Coastal Carolina University. The Clark Chair is a three-year, nonrenewable position.
During his term as Clark Chair, Talbert will focus on scholarly work connected with the life and accomplishments of Peter Horry, an important figure in the early history of South Carolina. His research will explore local aspects of the periods of American history including the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812 in the South, Southern culture and society, and enslaved Africans and African-Americans. In addition, Talbert will present his work at community meetings and will work to bring other scholars to campus who will speak and teach the Colonial and Revolutionary history of our state.
Born in Cheraw, Talbert earned a bachelor’s degree from Furman University and a master’s degree and Ph.D. from Vanderbilt. He served at the Pentagon on active military duty from 1970 to 1972. He has written many books on subjects ranging from the TVA to military intelligence, as well as institutional histories of Conway National Bank and Coastal Carolina University, and other South Carolina organizations. Talbert joined the CCU faculty in 1979 and has served the university in a variety of capacities.