Browse Items (16 total)

Henry Grimball was born in Charleston in 1948. The Grimball family has long connections to South Carolina and to the Library Society, going back at least to the “brick” membership of Nathaniel Heyward in 1835. Mr. Grimball relates stories of his…

Martha Ingram was born in Charleston in 1935. She grew up downtown and went on to study history at Vassar. Mrs. Ingram shares about her family’s visits to the Library as a little girl and she recounts her job as a DJ at her father’s radio station…

Mariano La Via was born in Rome in 1926. La Via was a young man living in Italy during World War II and describes those harrowing times, losing friends, and then arriving in New York by sea, and seeing the Brooklyn Bridge. An immunologist, Dr. La…

Jack Alterman was born here in Charleston and has had a long career as a professional photographer. Mr. Alterman reflects on his family’s life and their dress shops on King Street, along with all of the changes he’s seen downtown during the last…

Richard Porcher was born in 1939 in Charleston. He grew up in Moncks Corner and has had a long career as a biologist. Dr. Porcher has written several books on cotton, wildflowers, rice culture and cultural history. He served on the Library’s board…

Ann Igoe was born in Florence, S.C. in 1935. She grew up in Darlington, S.C. A teacher of modern dance, Ms. Igoe has been in Charleston since 1959. She and her late husband Harold (“Skipper”) Igoe were participants in the poetry group that met at…

Richard Porcher was born in 1939 in Charleston. He grew up in Moncks Corner and has had a long career as a biologist. Dr. Porcher has written several books on cotton, wildflowers, rice culture and cultural history. He served on the Library’s board…

Harriet McDougal was born in Washington, D.C. in 1939. Her father was a naval officer, stationed here in Charleston right after World War II. She grew up downtown and, after college in New York, worked in various publishing houses. She started her…

William Jenkins (“Jenks”) Gibbs was born in 1938 in Charleston. He grew up downtown and had a career in banking and shipping. He served in the US Coast Guard and is a descendent of the Ball and Simons families. Mr. Gibbs discusses changes he’s…

Cathy Sadler was born in Vicksburg, MS in 1949. She was promised a job at the Library Society when she was five and went on to work at the Library for nearly forty years, first as Librarian from 1971 to 1978, and then as Head Librarian, from 1979 to…