1911 – 2006

Remembering Clay
Virginia Clay Howard Rowland: First of all, you can’t understand Clay Rowland without having an idea what the Rowland household was like. Thanks to Gil’s intellectual curiosity and ever-evolving interests, there were people at the house so often you could almost think of it as a satellite of some educational institution. Gil’s interest in religious questions led him to host discussion groups quite often. The Unitarian framework suited him so well that he and others started a fellowship. Our living room was the location for early Unitarian get-togethers and Sunday school groups. Along the way, there were also play-reading groups, jazz music nights, “what is your favorite question” nights, and so forth. As a writer for the Greenville newspaper, he would often write about a visitor or new resident of Greenville who hailed from a foreign country. Often, his new interest would join us for dinner. And Gil and Clay were active members of the International Club at the YWCA in the ’50’s and early ’60’s. So all of these wonderful people visited at our house from time to time. I don’t think a week ever went by without at least one supper guest, evening gathering, or Sunday morning event.
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