Changing symbols of success: Economic development in twentieth century Greenville, South Carolina

By the middle of the twentieth century, Greenville, South Carolina, had grown from a frontier trading post to a city of 58,000 known as the "Textile Center of the World." Throughout its 185 years of white settlement, the history of Greenville was the history of its business, trade, and industry. During the period 1945-1955 Greenville was in transition. The city was known for its cotton mills and mill villages. This Greenville was fading and a modern Greenville was emerging. The city's business community was eager to throw off its old image and led the effort to recruit new enterprises in the post-World War II period. This study examines four of Greenville's twentieth century institutions, the Woodside Cotton Mill; Parker High School; Charles E. Daniel, founder of Daniel Construction Company; and Bob Jones University. These seemingly disparate entities are linked in one fundamental aspect. Each one is a vital part of Greenville's history as a center of business and enterprise. The declining Woodside Cotton Mill and its village typified the old Greenville, as did Parker High School. Newcomers Charles E. Daniel and Bob Jones University helped define modern Greenville. Between 1945 and 1955, the Greenville business elite weathered a fundamental shift away from old-line institutions. They filled the void with new institutions that arose at the same time the old ones were vanishing. This study presents a history of that transition.