Barbecue Sauce vs. Blue Cheese: Challenge by UA, Clemson Library Deans

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — What do barbecue sauce, blue cheese, library deans and the National Football College Championship game have in common? Everything.

Dr. Don Gilstrap, dean of University Libraries at The University of Alabama, received a challenge from Maggie Farrell, dean of libraries at Clemson University, on the outcome of the Alabama vs. Clemson football game Monday night.

If Alabama wins the national title, Farrell will send a package of Clemson’s famous blue cheese and blue cheese dressing to the Alabama Libraries for the faculty and staff to enjoy. If Clemson should win, barbecue sauce from Tuscaloosa’s famous Dreamland Bar-b-que Restaurant will be sent to the Clemson Libraries.

The first Clemson University Blue Cheese was cured in Stumphouse Mountain Tunnel in 1941. The history and folklore surrounding this scenic spot in the Blue Ridge Mountains is legendary in the Piedmont area of South Carolina.

John “Big Daddy” Bishop opened his legendary Dreamland Café in Tuscaloosa in 1958, the same year legendary football coach Paul “Bear” Bryant started at Alabama. The famous ribs, sauce and service are known throughout Alabama and Georgia.

When asked about the bet, Farrell commented, “You might as well ship today.” Gilstrap noted, “We will enjoy the blue cheese with our ribs and sauce after our win.”

The University of Alabama Libraries ranks 33rd among the 68 public research libraries in the Association of Research Libraries. Last year more than 17,000 students participated in the Libraries’ formal training sessions ranging from GIS mapping applications and data analysis to 3D printing and the use of some 150 software applications required in undergraduate and graduate courses in all disciplines.

The Clemson University Libraries serve as the portal to scholarly information and discovery. With electronic access to thousands of journals and books, growing digital media collections, printed materials, maps and audio/visual recordings, the library provides access to collections that support research, innovation and learning.