The University Shop was founded in 1950 by Marvin Henry Frank. With the flagship store located in Columbus, Ohio, Mr. Frank sought to create a unique shopping experience for the discerning gentleman. Originally called Marvin's, Mr. Frank grew his brand to 37 stores catering to college campuses.
In 1970, bad weather called for a detour from visiting the Athens, Georgia, store, and Mr. Frank found himself stopping in Clemson, South Carolina, for the night. The next morning before continuing to Athens, Mr. Frank visited Downtown Clemson to take a look at the small college town's apparel market. Seeing a desperate need and hidden potential in Clemson, Mr. Frank decided on the College Avenue location of his newest clothier, in the space formerly occupied by the WCCP/1560AM radio station.
Steve Poteet began his career with The University Shop in 1970. Based originally in the Bowling Green location, he was promoted to the home office's High Street location, and soon returned to manage the Bowling Green store. Steve had one more stop in Jacksonville, Alabama, before settling in as manager of the Clemson location in 1973. After proving himself a successful manager of the Clemson store for seventeen years, Steve purchased the remaining shares of the store from Mr. Frank.
While style has changed considerably since its founding, the store's core values have not. First and foremost, customer service is paramount. "We feel we bring a quality of merchandise and service to the town of Clemson not usually afforded a town this size", relates Steve. "The diverse, ever-changing, ever-evolving patronage of Clemson University has continuously blessed us with new faces and old friends. We are so grateful for our base, local customers as well as visitors to the area."
"Were it not for the wonderful students, families, faculty and Tiger fans, our store wouldn't be celebrating its 47th year in Clemson. You can offer the best quality products in the world, but without a diverse, supportive customer base, you will not be in business very long", shares Steve.
"We strive to embrace the values of those who came before us, while serving generations to come."