Kinard Hall, named after Dr. Francis Marion Kinard, is one of the many buildings University Facilities cares for every day.
The Kinard Laboratory of Physics is a four story, 63,689 gross square foot facility in the heart of the Clemson Campus that honors the service of Francis Marion Kinard (1902–1960). Dean Kinard, a professor of English from 1924 until his sudden death in 1960, became dean of the School of Arts and Sciences in 1943 and then dean of the college in 1955. The new home to Clemson’s Department of Physics, Kinard Laboratory of Physics, was dedicated to his memory and in honor of his service to Clemson in 1961.1 This facility houses the Department of Physics and Astronomy and contains six classrooms, 36 laboratory spaces and 69 offices.
Today, University Facilities cares for Kinard with Custodians Lan Chen (5 years at Clemson) and new hire Leigh Hurst. Our Maintenance and Landscape Services staff spent over 1,225 hours last fiscal year in Kinard on preventive and corrective maintenance to the facility and ground’s care. Among the many working routinely in Kinard are James McGee (4 years at Clemson), Michael Owens (5 years at Clemson) and Larry Kastner (11 years at Clemson).
Recently, Project Manager John Gambrell (23 years at Clemson) directed renovations to the Foucault Pendulum Tower. The pendulum is the only Foucault pendulum on public display in South Carolina and has served as a central focal point of the facility since the installation in 1961.
Our staff continue to leave their mark each day on this important University asset.
Pictured: Lan Chen, John Gambrell, Leigh Hurst, Larry Kastner, James McGee, and Michael Owens.
FUN FACT: Last fiscal year, the Kinard building used 228 rolls of hand towels, 972 tissue rolls and 66 refills of biodegradable foam soap.
1. Reel, Jerome V. The High Seminary: A History of the Clemson Agricultural College of South Carolina, 1889-1964. Vol. 1. Clemson: Clemson U Digital, 2011. 417. Print
