Born Lancaster County in 1926, Louise Pettus  was educated at  Winthrop College, where she majored in history and subsequently taught high school history for one year. After her father's death in 1949, she returned home to manage the family store and cotton gin, which she did for six years.  During this time, she earned her master's degree in history at the University of South Carolina.  After her completing her graduate education, Ms. Pettus taught history for the following 11 years to high school and colleges in Arizona and Florida.

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In 1968, she came back to South Carolina, where she taught at Winthrop, both in the School of Education and the Department of History.  Ms. Pettus has published several books about South Carolina history and is one of the favorite historians in York County.  Below, are just some of her numerous writings.