"S" is for Salley, Alexander Samuel [1871-1961]

"S" is for Salley, Alexander Samuel [1871-1961]. Historian. A Citadel graduate, Salley developed a fascination for local historical records. From that time forward, he wrote continuously on South Carolina topics, producing countless articles and over 100 monographs. In 1899 Salley became the Secretary, treasurer, and librarian, at the South Carolina Historical Society. The discovery of long-lost revolutionary war records led him to campaign for the proper custody and care of these priceless materials. Six years later, a South Carolina Historical Society-sponsored bill was made law by the General Assembly; it created funding and a full-time secretary for the State Historical Commission. For the next 45 years, as secretary of the commission, Alexander Samuel Salley organized, filed, and wrote about the state's documentary heritage that would evolve into the South Carolina Department of Archives and History.