Biography of Bobby (Bob) Gene Stephens

Bob was born in Glendale, attended Glendale elementary school and graduated from Pacolet high school in 1953. After high school, he attended Wofford College where he was a member of the Army ROTC. He graduated from Wofford in 1957 with a BS degree in Chemistry.

After graduation from Wofford, he served two years in the Army as a 2nd/1st Lieutenant. Upon completion of his military service, he returned to South Carolina for further education. He enrolled in Clemson University and went on to acquire both a masters degree and a  Ph.D. degrees in chemistry. Upon graduating from Clemson, he returned to Wofford as a professor and taught chemistry until 1972. At this time he was promoted to academic dean. He served in this position until 1980. In 1980 he accepted the position of president of MacMurray College in Jacksonville, Illinois.

He returned to Wofford in 1986 as vice president of technology, retiring from that position in 2000. He is still involved at Wofford helping raise money from private foundations. In retirement, his main interests are his grandchildren (10 of them), golf, car restoration (1955 Chevy), and Glendale. Bob is heavily involved in various projects to promote the interests of Glendale and has been pivotal in establishing these projects. Bob is also on the Board of the Spartanburg Hub City Writers Project.
 
He married Sandra Elizabeth White from Spartanburg in 1957. She graduated from Converse College and has taught English in Spartanburg School District 7 from time to time. She retired from Spartanburg High in 1998. Bob and Sandra  have four children: Barbara Elaine (1958), Edward Dewey (1959), Robert Todd (1954), and Adam Mott (1967). Elaine has two daughters, Ward has two daughters and a son, Todd has two sons, and Adam has two daughters and a son. Elaine is a restaurant manager in Atlanta, Ward is a lumber broker in Greenville, Todd is the head librarian for Spartanburg County, and Adam lives in Spartanburg and is regional manager for Thompson Communications. 

In his youth, Bob had a taste of the textile industry in a summer job. He worked for three months during the summer of 1953 on the third shift at Arkwright's Camp Croft cotton mill. His dad was the second shift plant supervisor there then and his job was sweeping and oiling. His job in Glendale (not the mill) was from 10th through 12th grades at Hopper's grocery across the bridge as delivery boy.
 
(There is an interesting coincidence in Bob’s family about birthdays. His grandmother, Lula Belle Mott, (his mother's mother) was born at 3 pm on Saturday, December 18 in 1886. She died at 3 pm on Saturday, December 18 in 1971 on her 85th birthday!  But there is more: One of Bob’s son, Ward's daughters was born on December 18 and two years later one of his son, Adam's daughters was also born on December 18. )

(Click on this link to read about the Stephens, Brown and Mott families.)

(Click on this link for biography of June Elaine Stephens Bowman, Bob's sister.)

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This web site has been started as a public service to share the story of Glendale. See more information about Mary and her Glendale connection at Mary McKinney Teaster.