Self, James Cuthbert | South Carolina Public Radio

“S” is for Self, James Cuthbert [1876-1955]. Textile manufacturer, philanthropist. A native of Bowles Mountain in Edgefield County [now Greenwood County], Self attended a business college in Virginia and in 1899 became a bookkeeper in the Bank of Greenwood. In 1908 he became president and treasurer of Greenwood Cotton Mill. When Self became president, the mill had obsolete equipment and was mired in debt. He purchased new looms on credit, hired skilled associates, and improved working and living conditions for employees. Over the next twenty years, he opened or purchased three more mills. In 1935, with his mills operating on three shifts a day, Self purchased all outstanding stock and became sole owner of Greenwood Cotton Mill. In 1942 James Cuthbert Self created the private Self Foundation that today continues to provide grants to improve the quality of life in Greenwood and South Carolina.