Louis Batson, 91, was businessman and Clemson trustee

Louis Batson Jr., 91, trustee emeritus of Clemson University and Greenville businessman, died Saturday, Nov. 16, 2019, in Greenville. Batson was elected to Clemson’s board of trustees in 1979 and served the maximum of three consecutive terms as chairman from 1985 to 1991. In 1987, Batson was selected to be a Successor Member of the board. Batson was the recipient of numerous awards and honors for his service to Clemson, including the 1981 Distinguished Alumni Award and the Clemson Medallion, the university’s highest public honor, in 1988. Batson was also a charter member of the Clemson University Founder’s Club, a group of donors who give at least $10,000 annually to Clemson. Professionally, Batson was the chairman of the Louis P. Batson Company and its affiliates. Batson corporations, founded by Louis P. Batson Sr. in 1948, export textile manufacturing equipment worldwide. He graduated from Clemson with honors in 1948. There will be a celebration of his life in the Sanctuary of Buncombe Street United Methodist Church in Greenville at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 24, with visitation to follow in the Orders Parlor. Memorials may be sent to the Phyllis and Louis P Batson Jr. Endowment, Clemson University Foundation, P.O. Box 1889, Clemson, SC 29633-1889; to the Poor Clare Nuns at the Monastery of Saint Clare, 37 McCauley Road, Travelers Rest, SC 29690; or to the Louis P Batson Jr Cancer Endowment for Patient Care, St. Francis Foundation, 1 St. Francis Drive, Greenville, SC 29601.