On the one hand, there is feverish activity to get ready for the new academic year, to make sure we are prepared to face any situation that might occur, able to continue online entirely or begin working face to face while still taking precautions.
On the other hand, it feels as though time is standing still while we collectively hold our breath and wait for this moment to pass.
When I accepted this position back in February, only those who were really paying attention had an inkling of what might be coming. I imagined the things I would do and say to get started on the right foot and with plenty of momentum. Almost all of that is on hold now, or severely compromised. Almost all, but not everything.
We must also keep our eyes focused on the world after COVID-19.
The College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities, as I have been discovering over the last few weeks, is teeming with energy, ideas and innovation. The task that lies before us is to pool our resources and make all efforts underway count, to add up to even more than the mere sum of our parts.
One initiative I have already launched is for the College leadership to think about ways we might be able to bring our interdisciplinary programs – three undergraduate and two graduate degrees – under one roof. Creating a home for interdisciplinarity within the College would ideally serve the University community as a whole. In the months to come, you will hear more about this initiative, I hope.
Another area we will focus on this coming year is providing more support for the College’s research initiatives.
Clemson University recently became ranked as an R1: Doctoral University, signifying “very high research activity.” This is the highest research ranking offered by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. Our College must do everything it can to contribute to and help maintain that coveted R1 ranking for Clemson University.
Winifred Elysse Newman is the new Acting Associate Dean of Research in the College. Image Credit: Clemson University Relations
On a related note, our Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Studies, James Spencer, has recently accepted a post at Louisiana State University – the “wrong” Tigers, for sure! While we will miss him and all that he has contributed to our College, I am pleased to announce that Professor Winifred Elysse Newman has agreed to step in on short notice to be our Acting Associate Dean of Research. Newman holds the Homer Curtis Mickel and Leona Carter Mickel Endowed Chair in the School of Architecture and is Director of the Clemson University Institute for Intelligent Materials, Systems and Environments (CU-iMSE).
This transition in leadership opens up the opportunity to reexamine our Associate Deans’ roles and our College’s overall research profile. We must find ways to increase applications for grants and fellowships, and foster a climate of research excellence. I promise to share more about this effort, too!
So, I will sign off here by wishing a great year to one and all. We will get through this and, I am sure, emerge stronger and hopefully wiser on the other side.
Nicholas Vazsonyi, Dean
College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities
For the first time, the College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities held its end-of-year meeting in a virtual format on May 13.
CAAH faculty and staff might have missed the chance to catch up with colleagues after the meeting adjourned over the customary sweet tea and cookies, but otherwise the Zoom meeting covered much familiar territory.
College committee reports were delivered by the following faculty members: Andrew Levin (Curriculum Committee), Mickey Lauria (Research Committee), Daval Gajjar (Faculty Awards Committee) and Anthony Bernarducci (Honors and Awards Committee). Peter Laurence contributed the Faculty Senate report.
If there had been a theme to the meeting, it would have been “Transitions.” In his introductory remarks, Interim Dean Timothy R. Boosinger mentioned the challenges and changes COVID-19 brought to campus in March. He also looked ahead to strategies for a “return to work” and fall classes.
Kate Schwennsen was recognized for her exceptional leadership of the School of Architecture for a decade, while Jim Stevens was welcomed as the School’s next director beginning June 1.
Faculty members Thomas Kuehn (Department of History and Geography), Mark Hosler (Department of Performing Arts) and Robert Silance (School of Architecture) were acknowledged upon their retirement.
Nicholas Vazsonyi, who begins his tenure as dean on July 1, addressed the faculty and staff both warmly and briefly.
Announcements about faculty and staff award winners were split between Interim Dean Boosinger, Associate Dean Jim Spencer and Interim Associate Dean James Burns:
Student-selectedhonors
The afternoon’s recognitions began with two faculty awards normally announced at the annual Honors and Awards ceremony. Students from the CAAH Ambassadors selected these two winners from a field nominated by fellow students:
Advisor of the Year: Deborah Anthony (Nieri Family Department of Construction Science and Management)
Faculty Member of the Year: Matthew Leckenbusch (Department of Performing Arts)
Lightsey Fellows
Maria Bose (Department of English)
Mashal Saif (Department of Philosophy and Religion)
John B. & Thelma A. Gentry Award for Teaching Excellence in the Humanities
Ben White (Department of Philosophy and Religion)
Creativity Professorships
Design and Building: Hala Nassar (School of Architecture)
Humanities: Rhondda Robinson Thomas (Department of English) and Christa Smith (Department of History and Geography)
Dean’s Award for Excellence in Teaching
Elizabeth Jemison (Department of Philosophy and Religion)
Dean’s Award for Excellence in Research
Mashal Saif (Department of Philosophy and Religion)
Dean’s Award for Excellence in Service
Charles Starkey (Department of Philosophy and Religion)
Dean’s Team Player Award
Keri Crist-Wagner (Department of English)
Dean’s Award for Excellence in Outstanding Customer Service
Julia Harvey (all from CAAH Student Services)
Ashley Crisp
Regina Foster and
Carolyn Crist
Clemson University Awards
In addition to the College’s award winners, one faculty member and one student from the College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities were recognized with Algernon Sydney Sullivan awards.
Rhonda Robinson Thomas (Calhoun Lemon Professor of Literature, Department of English)
Carly Malcolm (Class of 2020, language and international health major (Spanish) with a minor in gender, sexuality and women’s studies
Congratulations to all of the College’s award winners!
The College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities at Clemson University is beginning the academic year with new faculty members, including several new program leaders.
Ryan Dietz is the new director of the Master of Real Estate Development program and a professor of practice in the Department of City Planning and Real Estate Development, which is based in downtown Greenville. Dietz comes to Clemson University from Florida State University, where he led a similar program. In this role he succeeds Robert Benedict, who recently retired.
Jon Bernard Marcoux is the new director of Historic Preservation, a joint graduate program shared between Clemson University and the College of Charleston. The program is based at the Clemson Design Center in Charleston, located at the historic Cigar Factory. Marcoux had been the director of the Noreen Stonor Drexel Cultural and Historic Preservation program at Salve Regina University in Newport, Rhode Island. He succeeds Carter L. Hudgins, who retired as director.
Other new arrivals to the College’s faculty are listed by department.
Art: Rachel de Cuba comes to Clemson as a Provost’s Pathway Fellow, while Mandy Ferguson, Haley Floyd, David Gerhard and Dustin Massey are lecturers.
School of Architecture: Lara Browning and Susannah Horton are lecturers in the landscape architecture program, while Virginia Melnyk and Brandon Pass are lecturers in architecture.
Construction Science and Management: Vivek Sharma joins the department as an assistant professor, while his wife, Harnish Sharma is a lecturer.
English: Jordan Frith is the Pearce Professor of Professional Communication. Chelsea Murdock has been named the new director of the Writing Center and is a lecturer. Other new lecturers are Stevie Edwards, Rene Fleischbein, J. Benjamin Fuqua, April Ayers Lawson and Lee Matalone.
History: Joshua Catalano and Rebecca Shimoni Stoil join the department as assistant professors.
Languages: Yezid Flores and José Ortiz are lecturers in Spanish.
Performing Arts: Lisa Sain Odom is an assistant professor of music.
Philosophy and Religion: John Thames is an assistant professor of religious studies.
The Office of the Provost maintains a photo gallery of CAAH faculty who have joined the university in the past year, along with information on faculty members who have joined other Colleges.
Clemson University President James P. Clements and Provost Robert H. Jones hosted a reception Sept. 3 to recognize the University’s newest tenured and promoted faculty. The celebration at the Madren Center featured appetizers, music from a live jazz ensemble and the opportunity to meet peers from other disciplines.
Clemson English was well-represented, including, from left, Kathleen Nalley, Katalin Beck, Department Chair Susanna Ashton and Lucian Ghita. Image Credits: Patrick Wright
Faculty promotions and tenure announcements in the College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities were first released before the summer break:
Robert Hewitt, a specialist in landscape architecture, achieved the rank of professor in the School of Architecture. Also in architecture, Joseph Choma, Sallie Hambright-Belue and Amalia Leifeste were named associate professors.
Other new associate professors were Todd Anderson (art); Joe Burgett and Jason Lucas (construction science and management); Walt Hunter (English) and Raquel Anido (languages/Spanish).
The following CAAH faculty members were promoted to senior lecturers: Clarissa Mendez and George Schafer (architecture); Katalin Beck, Lucian Ghita, Andrew Mathas and Kathleen Nalley (English); and Harris King (languages/German).
Again, congratulations to all!
President James P. Clements addresses the crowd Sept. 3 at a reception honoring faculty who recently received promotions and tenure.
As the afterglow of the National Championship has begun to subside (but not by much) and the routine of classes, homework, assignments and studio projects has settled in, the spring semester is well under way – and spring temperatures are in the forecast!
Mark Spede, director of bands at Clemson University, leads the Tiger Band at the National Championship. Image Credit: Tiger Band
It is hard to believe that less than a month ago the Clemson Tigers won their third national football championship, and second in three years. My wife and I were honored to travel with Tiger Band to the National Championship, and we couldn’t have been prouder of the students, faculty and staff who represent our university with such distinction and class. The 355 Tiger Band members had a remarkable post-season, including the rain-soaked ACC Championship, an 18-hour drive (each way) to support the team at the Cotton Bowl and then traveling to Santa Clara, California, and returning as National Champions. Tiger Band represents the best of Clemson University, with academic majors from across the University and sharing a common goal of excellence on the field, in the classroom and in the stands.
To cap off a remarkable season, we learned this week that Tiger Band has been selected as one of only five bands to be chosen for a video presentation at the upcoming College Band Directors National Association Marching Band Showcase. Tiger Band is in rarified air as we join Arizona State, Ohio State, Michigan State and Texas State for this honor. Congratulations to the students, Director of Bands Mark Spede, Assistant Director of Bands Timothy Hurlburt and the entire Tiger Band staff on a job well done and this national distinction.
CAF and HAB host joint reception
Last week, the first joint event sponsored by the Clemson Architectural Foundation and the Humanities Advancement Board was held at the Cigar Factory in Charleston and featured the city’s longtime former mayor, Joe Riley. Clemson alumni from across the state and region attended the event at the Clemson Design Center in Charleston, and heard a great talk and insights offered by former Mayor Riley. I have no doubt he would win another term, or three, if he were to run again. My gratitude to Lee Morrissey, interim associate dean of CAAH, for initiating this joint presentation.
Bessie Hanahan recently presented a major gift to the Historic Preservation program, based in Charleston. Image Credit: Gary Coleman
Hanahan supports historic preservation students
While in Charleston, we celebrated a major gift to our historic preservation program by Bessie Hanahan. Bessie hosted a large group of students, faculty, and friends of our preservation program at her beautiful home, which has been thoroughly renovated with extensive research provided by Richard (Moby) Marks and our HP students. Bessie’s transformational gift is dedicated to student scholarships and she challenged the attendees to help support our students and future students through the gift of scholarships. I want to thank Bessie for her philanthropy, leadership and vision for the future, and hope you join me in promoting student scholarships.
In closing, I join former students and colleagues in sadness at the news of Peter Lee’s passing. An Alumni Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Architecture, Peter was a beloved professor and his memory will be preserved in perpetuity by his induction in the CAAH Hall of Fame this spring.
The start of every school year is undoubtedly the most exciting time to be on campus. Anticipation for the new year, football and cooler weather permeates campus. Faculty return from their summer activities with renewed enthusiasm and every student starts the year as a straight-A student.
One of my favorite events at the beginning of each academic year is our College’s new faculty orientation. In mid-August, 25 of our new faculty met in Lee Hall, where the program was followed by a buffet lunch. The highlight of the morning was getting to know the credentials, background and multidisciplinary interests of our incoming faculty members. You will be reading about many of them in the coming months – in the meantime, I can tell you that we continue to attract world-class scholars, artists, designers and teachers to the College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities.
Tiger Band reunion comes with a surprise
The Tiger Band reunion was a time to share memories and thank Jim and Barbara McCabe for their generous support. Image credit: Jacob Dean
Last week I had the honor of a lifetime when I was surprised by Jim and Barbara McCabe’s $100,000 gift to Tiger Band in my honor. The announcement came at the first Tiger Band alumni reunion, and was I humbled by the generosity of the McCabes and the opportunities their philanthropy will give to band students. I had no advance warning of the announcement and was completely fooled by my wife and others, including my office coordinator Susan McCall. There had been an elaborate scheme to surprise me, and I finally figured out the real reason my oldest daughter and her family were in town. I am grateful to Jim and Barbara for their gift and a night I will never forget – thank you!
Another highlight for me every school year is the first day of band camp. More than 350 members of the 2018 Tiger Band gathered in the Brooks Theatre and had the opportunity to meet the band staff and their fellow bandmates. The evening began with an appearance by Coach Dabo Swinney, who shared almost 45 minutes of inspirational messages and gratitude with the band. The meeting was followed by the traditional “running down the hill” by band freshmen and words of welcome from President James P. Clements, Athletic Director Dan Radakovich and me. Congratulations to Director of Bands Mark Spede and his outstanding staff on the start to another great year!
Milestones
Other high points over the past month include the 50th anniversary celebration of the Architecture + Health program at Clemson University.
We were honored to host the family of George C. Means Jr. at the Architecture + Health 50th anniversary celebration. Here they are joined by Becca and Ben Rook, whose recent gift ensured that the program studio will carry the Means name. Image credit: Jacob Dean
About 70 alumni of the program came to campus for some or all of the events, where they were joined by more than 80 honorary alumni, special guests, faculty and staff, family members and current students. Together they celebrated a generous $100,000 gift to the program from Ben and Becca Rook of Greenville, and the legacy of program founder George C. Means Jr. The Rook gift named the Architecture + Health studio in honor of Means. We are grateful that Means’ sons, Kenneth and Calvin, were able to attend, in addition to their wives and two of George Means’ grandsons. Thanks again to the Rooks and to the director of the Architecture + Health program, David Allison, for making it a memorable anniversary.
I also hosted a dinner last month to celebrate the newly tenured and promoted faculty members in the College. Congratulations to the following faculty for reaching this career milestone:
Amit Bein, History
Nic Brown, English
Ufuk Ersoy, Architecture
Anjali Joseph, Architecture
Johannes Schmidt, Languages (German)
Will Stockton, English
Eric Touya, Languages (French)
Finally, I had the privilege to end my summer as music director of the 2018 Disneyland All-American College Band. The band members completed their final performances in the park and attended a farewell banquet. I am grateful to the Disneyland Creative Entertainment team for supporting the All-American College Band for 48 years and the opportunities the program has created for student musicians. During that time, more than 1,000 students have participated in the program, including two former Clemson students, Maureen Maney and David Agee. It was a great end of the summer for me.
In closing, I want to express my best wishes to all for the start of a new school year and I hope to see you sometime this fall in Tigertown.
Go Tigers!
Rick
The 2018 Disneyland All-American College Band wraps up the summer season.
There is no doubt summer is almost over – more students are arriving daily, faculty are stopping by the office to say hello, and there is a decided increase in pedestrian and vehicular traffic. Although the number of days remain the same between spring commencement and the arrival of students for the fall semester, I have no doubt that time somehow seems to shrink every year.
I have to admit, however, that through summer, the weekly freshman orientation sessions remain exciting for me to see. Matriculating freshman and transfer students bring wide-eyed enthusiasm to campus for a two-day immersion in academic and social life. I love seeing the students beginning to make friends for a lifetime, meet their academic advisors and navigate campus with a map or iPhone in hand. As faculty also start to appear in greater numbers, there is an unmistakable sense of anticipation from all for the new academic year.
Although the pace of academic life is markedly slower in the summer months, we have news to report, new faculty to welcome and a new year to plan.
Law, Liberty and Justice
Philosophy major Felicia Finney stands next to a portrait of her grandfather, Ernest A. Finney, a former chief justice of the South Carolina Supreme Court. Image Credit: Richard Amesbury
I am extraordinarily proud of Felicia Finney, a philosophy major with an emphasis in our Law, Liberty and Justice program who interned at the South Carolina Supreme Court this summer.
This prestigious internship is even more meaningful for Felicia because her grandfather, Ernest A. Finney Jr., was the first African American appointed to the South Carolina Supreme Court since the Reconstruction Era. Finney, who was later elected its chief justice, sadly passed away in December.
In Felicia’s application essay for her internship, she wrote of her dream to become a defense attorney, a dream that “stems from the fact that I believe the law will allow me to create a voice for those who don’t often feel that they are heard.”
The internship is one of several offered through the Department of Philosophy and Religion for students interested in law and government.
A new face in performing arts
We recently welcomed Becky Becker to campus as the new chair of the Department of Performing Arts. Becker, who earned her Ph.D. at Bowling Green State University in Ohio, succeeds David Hartmann.
Hartmann, who successfully completed eight years as chair, is looking forward to returning to his full-time faculty status and professional theatrical design work. I am looking forward to seeing Becker’s thoughtful and strong arts leadership throughout the country begin to impact our students, faculty and programs in the Brooks Center.
Awards of note
Several notable awards and recognitions were announced at the end of the school year and over the summer. I hope you didn’t miss them (and stay tuned for more announcements soon):
Rhondda Robinson Thomas was announced as the new Calhoun Lemon Professor of Literature;
Joe Burgett was presented with the 2018 Alumni Master Teacher award at Clemson;
Michael LeMahieu was awarded an American Council of Learned Societies Fellowship;
Jae Takeuchi received the Hamako Ito Chaplin Memorial Award for excellence in Japanese language teaching at the college level;
Benjamin White was granted a summer stipend from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Susanna Ashton was awarded the Charles W. Chesnutt Society’s Sylvia Lyons Render Award, along with Bill Hardwig, the co-editor on their recent teaching guide on Chesnutt.
Anjali Joseph was named the 2018 Researcher of the Year by Healthcare Design Magazine.
Congratulations to all!
Mentoring opportunity
I am happy to share the news that the College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities is participating in an online mentoring program here at Clemson. CAAH On Deck is our new program that connects CAAH students with professionals in similar fields. Current students will hear more about this exciting new program in the fall. We are continuing to add alumni to our pool of mentors. If you would like to join the program, please fill out a professional online profile on CAAH On Deck.
Architecture + Health milestone
It is heartening to see the latest national recognition Joseph and her research team have received for their efforts in designing a safer operating room through the RIPCHD.OR (Realizing Improved Patient Care through Human-Centered Design in the Operating Room) project. This honor is a reminder of the important work going on at Clemson in the field of health-related design. It also reflects on the leadership of Architecture + Health director David Allison and the director of the School of Architecture, Kate Schwennsen.
This month, the graduate program in Architecture + Health marks its 50th year. The Architecture + Health studio will now carry the name of program founder George C. Means Jr., thanks to the latest gift from Ben and Becca Rook of Greenville. The Rooks’ generous long-term support of this program and its faculty will have a lasting impact on Clemson students. In addition, their gift will ensure that for years to come our students will know the Means name and his reputation as an extraordinary teacher and mentor. We are most grateful to the Rooks.
I close with the sad news of the June passing of Sybil Miller. Sybil was the departmental staff member who served as the “front door” for students and faculty in the Department of Performing Arts. Sybil was a tremendous asset for the department and will be missed by all.
Best wishes to all as we build up to the beginning of the 2018-2019 academic year. I wish all of you a refreshing and restful end to the summer.
Greetings from just outside Disneyland in Anaheim, California. As you may have seen above, I am honored to have the opportunity to spend a few weeks rehearsing some of the finest college musicians in the United States as music director of the 2018 Disney All-American Band. The quality of the student musicians in the All-American College Band is world-class, as is the Walt Disney Company.
Here was a moment directing the band at the 2015 All-American College Band reunion. This summer, it’s an honor to serve as music director of the Disneyland All-American College Band. Image courtesy of Disney
During my 30-year relationship with Disney, I’ve noticed two striking similarities between Clemson and Disney. First is a laser focus on customer service. At Clemson University, we are determined to provide our students with a world-class educational and living/learning experience, one which gives our graduates a full set of tools to succeed in life and make the world a better place. The Disney Company offers guests a one-of-a-kind experience they will never forget, and one that cannot be replicated outside the park. Disney’s focus on customer service is unparalleled and its attention to detail is truly remarkable. A culture of customer service pervades everything – the custodial staff, management, meticulous landscaping and stunning entertainment and attractions.
The second similarity I have noted this week is branding, and a neverending quest to protect the brand and everything that it stands for. When you see Walt Disney’s famous signature or Mickey Mouse’s ears, you know it represents a company that provides world-class entertainment and family experiences you can trust. When you see the iconic Clemson tiger paw, you know it represents a high-quality, Top-25 public university and athletic teams that are always competitive. Building a brand takes decades. Protecting the brand is a 24/7, 365-days-a-year job that, as we all have seen recently, can be jeopardized in a blink of an eye.
I am thrilled to spend a few weeks in California, and appreciate the opportunity to help spread the Clemson brand west and to support the best live entertainment company in the world.
STEAM rises at Artisphere
In May, a large contingent of Clemson students and faculty showcased our collaborative work in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math (STEAM) at Greenville’s Artisphere festival. An annual highlight of Artisphere is the Clemson STEAM tent, where interactive, educational demonstrations are on full display. Approximately 75 student and faculty volunteers worked together the weekend after graduation to highlight our student and faculty projects.
The “R2D2 Meets Rembrandt” drawing robots delighted visitors at the Clemson STEAM tent at Artisphere.
Thousands of visitors explored and participated in activities that featured several projects that grew out of research in the College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities. Visitors programmed drawing robots in “R2D2 Meets Rembrandt,” developed by Barbara Ramirez. They learned how to draw in one- and two-point perspective, and how to transform ideas from paper to reality in “2D Drawing to 3D Models,” developed by Shannon Robert, Will Avery and Matthew Leckenbusch. Guests played the Clemson carillon bells remotely in “Coding for the Carillon: Automating Clemson’s Bell Tower,” developed by Linda Dzuris and a team of Creative Inquiry students. Visitors experienced how theater lighting affects color perception in Tony Penna’s “Color Booth,” and they explored how to create shape-shifting structures and materials through origami. In addition to all of these activities focused on STEAM education, Valerie Zimany led student and faculty volunteers from the Clemson Department of Art as they spent Artisphere weekend presenting live demonstrations.
Congratulations to all of our participating students and faculty for representing Clemson with such distinction.
College awards
The 2018 class of Creativity Professors was announced at last month’s end-of-year faculty/staff meeting. In the School of the Arts, Anthony Bernarducci (Performing Arts) was announced, as was David Lee (Architecture) from the School of Design + Building and Ben White (Philosophy and Religion), who will represent the School of the Humanities. Congratulations to these deserving faculty members.
I also announced the peer-reviewed Dean’s Excellence faculty and staff award winners:
Dean’s Award for Excellence in Teaching: Rachel Moore (History)
Dean’s Award for Excellence in Research: Angela Naimou (English)
Dean’s Award for Excellence in Service: Jan Holmevik (English)
Dean’s Team Player Award: Shannon Baldwin (Dean’s Office)
Dean’s Customer Service Award: Nancy Martin (Brooks Center)
Congratulations to each of these faculty and staff members for being recognized by their peers for their outstanding contributions to the College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities!
Promotions and tenure
Finally, I want to recognize and congratulate these faculty members whose well-deserved promotions were recently announced:
Amit Bein (History), promotion to full professor
Nic Brown (English), tenure and promotion to associate professor
Ufuk Ersoy (Architecture), tenure and promotion to associate professor
Anjali Joseph (Architecture), tenure and promotion to full professor
Johannes Schmidt (Languages), promotion to full professor
Will Stockton (English), promotion to full professor
Eric Touya (Languages), promotion to full professor
Kim Misener Dunn (Languages), promotion to senior lecturer
Michael Hannen (Philosophy and Religion), promotion to senior lecturer
Allison Hinds (Languages), promotion to senior lecturer
Eric Lapin (Performing Arts), promotion to senior lecturer
Ellory Schmucker (Languages), promotion to senior lecturer
Robert Stephens (Philosophy and Religion), promotion to senior lecturer
Kenneth Widgren (Languages), promotion to senior lecturer
In closing, best wishes to all from the “Happiest Place on Earth,”
Ray Huff, director of the Clemson Architecture Center in Charleston, a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects and founder of Huff + Gooden Architects, delivered this keynote address April 6, 2018, in Memorial Auditorium, which adjoins Tillman Hall at Clemson University. Huff has graciously allowed us to share his stirring remarks in written form.
By Ray Huff, FAIA
We are here today to honor and celebrate your achievements. This is a proud day for you, for your family, and for the university. You are being recognized for outstanding accomplishments. For standing above the crowd. For a dedication to purpose…. and today, the university community honors you.
Ray Huff speaks to a group of Clemson University leaders, 2017.
I am humbled on this special day to be asked to provide a congratulatory message. In preparing my comments, I thought long about what I may have wanted to hear today if I were in your place. So, I asked myself what “wisdoms” am I able to convey in the spirit of this august occasion. How might I draw from my own experiences that might convey a sensibility honed over 70 years.
It’s been more than 50 years since I first visited this venerable institution. As I look back over my shoulder, I can trace so much of who I am and what I’ve become to that early experience. So, please indulge me and allow me for a moment to share a story. My story, for I would like to think it has bearing on this very moment.
In this great room, I sat with other first year students – Rats, we were affectionately called – for orientation. This very room. A room figuratively built by Benjamin “Pitchfork” Tillman.” At the time, I did not know his story and his connection to Clemson. Unbelievably, despite growing up in Charleston, I had never heard of Clemson University until Harvey Gantt desegregated the college in 1963. Which, by the way, must have truly upset Mr. Tillman. You might ask, “how could you, in high school preparing for college, not have ever heard of this widely regarded state institution?” Well, you need to understand that at that time, South Carolina consisted of parallel universes. One for white people and one for people of color.
In the greatest of forums, known euphemistically as the Black Barbershop, I once heard a fellow customer excitedly telling us of a classmate of his, who was returning to Charleston after a long and apparently distinguished military career. The customer was very animated. Excited. Incredulous even. So proud. His classmate had journeyed far and wide since high school. Achieving the military rank of full colonel. At the end of his service career, he was returning from whilst he’d come. The customer was beside himself with pride for he had not been especially successful in his own life from what I could ascertain. Though while so very proud of his classmate, he was nonetheless exasperated. Finally, in the middle of his histrionics, he abruptly stopped. And after a long pause… he said with incredulity, “Nobody told me I COULD be a colonel.”
No one, during his childhood, his schooling and later, believed enough in him, to tell him He, TOO, Could Have Been A Colonel. Imagine, if only anyone cared….
“NOBODY TOLD ME I COULD BE A COLONEL”
Like I said, I grew up in a different South Carolina than what you see today. The South Carolina of my youth was a segregated place where some thought then, and even now, that old Pitchfork Ben was a man of decency and courage. I was fortunate however. My mother, an elementary school teacher, came from a family of academics. She completed her Master’s of Education at University of Pennsylvania in the late ’50s as a single parent, and did her post-graduate work at University of Miami. My grandfather was a college professor for 40 years. My grandmother was the first black state social worker in South Carolina. Yes, I came from relative privilege.
But, even so, my personal horizon was supposed to be pre-programmed. I was supposed to go to what we now refer to as a “historic black college or university.” When I told my guidance counselor I wanted to study at Clemson, she told me that I should not apply to Clemson; that I would not succeed there.
Fortunately for me, I was either too innocent or naïve to know I wouldn’t. And why not?
Ray Huff came to Clemson as a student, 1966.
For reasons that are still inexplicable to me, I chose architecture. Although I knew next to nothing about it. At the time, if one wanted to study architecture at Clemson, you had to first take a standardized examination in addition to the SAT. The Architecture Aptitude Examination was mandated for any prospective architecture student. So, my mother and I drove to Clemson and I sat for the exam on a Saturday in the spring of my senior year in high school. The exam was completely baffling to me. Intended to test one’s aptitude for the arts, sciences, language, visualization, and other essential disciplines one supposedly needed to be an architect.
Well, despite all, my background did not prepare me well for this manner of testing. I was not especially successful. But, despite that I was accepted to study architecture and my personal enlightenment began.
On my first day of my freshman class, I exited the food line at Harcombe Dining Hall, and stood there with tray in hand, bewildered. I’d never been around that many white people in my life. Then someone called out and invited me to his table where he was sitting alone. Like all the others he was white. He said, “have a seat.” Then, “you don’t remember me, do you?”. I didn’t. He said, “well, I delivered newspapers to your house for years.” His name is, believe it or not, John Quincy Adams, really! His welcome was re-affirming in ways I cannot properly put in words to this day. I’ll never forget his generosity. His simple act reinforced me and my belief that I too belonged here. After all, he had been my paperboy!
This “high seminary of learning,” Clemson, gave to me the gift of knowing that I could do anything. One of the greatest gifts a university can bestow is an Awareness of a larger world out there and preparation to enter that world. A world of knowledge, curiosity, insight, and lessons, to be garnered…
… it all began with that most elemental of gestures… empathy.
50 years ago, Dr. Martin Luther King was assassinated. Dino Harvey, a fellow student, and I hitchhiked to Atlanta to attend Dr. King’s funeral. We had a dime between us. A truck driver picked us up and dropped us off on the outskirts of Atlanta. After a short while, a muscle car full of young men with cigarette packs tucked in a fold of their tee shirt sleeves offered us a ride. Dino and I looked at each other and said, “Dr. King, we know you’re up there, so please make sure these boys do the right thing.” You have to understand the moment. King was just assassinated. Cities across America were burning. Mistrust was everywhere. Fear and anger filled the air around us. Here we are, two young black students in suits sitting in a car with four young white men, who on the surface couldn’t be more different then us. Yet, as we entered Atlanta, we talked with them about Dr. King. They did not agree much with King’s positions. They weren’t convinced the races could be fully integrated. But still, they were willing to listen to us and then they drove us deep into the black district of Atlanta so we could get to the funeral on time… tolerance.
“NOBODY TOLD ME I COULD BE A COLONEL”
Remember, this was the ’60s, a time of tremendous social upheaval in America. The world seemed upside down – Vietnam War, Civil Rights Movement, ’60s Generation – in so many ways that you simply wanted to “drop out”, as the adage proclaimed.
My first job in Florida was with a large architecture firm that designed high rise after high rise without passion, commitment, or integrity. This was untenable to me. However, an extraordinary architect lived and practiced right across the street from where I lived. For months, I approached him about a job but he was not in position to hire. Finally, I went to Don with a proposal: if he’ll allow me, I would work nights for free. I knew this would be a pivotal time for me becoming an architect. After a couple of months, he hired me full time and I attribute much of my professional design sensibilities to that experience… tenacity.
“NOBODY TOLD ME I COULD BE A COLONEL”
Eventually, I returned to Charleston and established a design practice. But, I knew that in returning to my hometown I would not be the same unformed person that left a dozen years ago. Charleston was a place that valued conformity and placidity, and still does. I vowed then that I would return as my Own Man. An Educated Man. A Man of Ideas. Not simply someone beholden to old precepts.
Over time, I built an international architecture practice with offices in Charleston and New York with another Clemson graduate, Mario Gooden. Our primary interest involved exploring architecture and its relationship to culture, memory, and knowledge. We were not in the “business” of architecture, we sought to make architecture an arbiter of the public domain and to reflect the values and ideals of our communities and of our time.
In 1987, President Barker, then dean of College of Architecture, approached me to establish a new Clemson center in Charleston, which became the Clemson Architecture Center (CAC.C). After 30 years, the CAC.C is housed in the new Clemson Design Center in Charleston, a historic mill building accommodating 100 students in five different master’s and undergraduate programs. The CDCC is dedicated to Clemson’s mission of public service, research, and preparing young people like yourselves to be empathic, tolerant, tenacious citizens of the world.
“NOBODY TOLD ME I COULD BE A COLONEL”
In the field of architecture and in many other disciplines, the days of where you simply operate alone in a vacuum are over. Done.
We all now operate globally and simultaneously in a sphere that is not bounded by synthetic borders. We are confronted with so much information and we have had to adapt to operating seamlessly in multiple environments and contexts, simultaneously.
But, don’t let people tell you that things are all going bad. That WE are losing our way. WE are simply re-aligning. Civilizations always have. And will always continue to do so. Don’t despair… do something.
Ray Huff addresses visitors to the Clemson Design Center in Charleston, 2017.
Some of you have all too often heard disparaging comments about being a Millennial. It is said, “you’re obsessed with technology. You’re unmotivated. You don’t want to work hard. You don’t even want to buy a car… You’re not ready for the challenges ahead.”
Let’s put this misrepresentation to rest….
Every preceding generation has thought the current generation unworthy, unfocused. It’s a cycle. Just like everything else. It just moves faster. Don’t be dismayed by the naysayers.
Like generations before who faced untold hardships such as wars, social upheaval, economic collapse, and other devastating events, you too will face seismic challenges. In a time of uncertainty, wayward leadership, and a climate of animosity, the burden is on you to reshape this world into a place of decency, empathy, and tolerance.
Now, I’ve told you a bit about myself, but today is not about me, it’s about you and what you have accomplished. About your commitment.
About your willingness to put aside the mundane to be your best.
Look about this room…. what do you see? A potpourri of tones, genders, and cross sections of the Clemson family, all with purpose and so much yet to discover.
Determine what really matters.
Figure out for yourselves what’s important and build scaffolding to strengthen your beliefs
Look what you have already accomplished. You are being honored for being extraordinary.
Be Empathetic.
Be Tolerant.
Be Tenacious.
Remember…
You are the future
Open your eyes
Open your hearts
Release your spirit
Listen to yourself
Make your life mean something
Determine what REALLY matters.
Are you going to make a difference? ……I’d say YES.
We have reached the end of the 2017-2018 academic year and sighs of relief and cheers of joy are resonating throughout campus – from students and faculty alike! In the words of T.S. Eliot, noted British author and poet, “April is the cruelest month.” Although we know Eliot spent time at Harvard and Oxford, it’s unlikely he faced the types of grading deadlines, end-of-year pressures and other academic rituals that are common at the modern university.
Sam Trivinia works on completing pieces of an untitled art installation for the BFA group exhibition “Existence.”
April was also one of our happiest months, as we paused to celebrate student achievements, congratulate upcoming graduates, recognize faculty accomplishments, celebrate the work of our staff, reflect on all of the successes of the prior year, and look forward to a summer that takes on a slightly more relaxed pace. Faculty members often use the summer to travel, reset their research agenda and plan for the upcoming year. Before long, however, next year’s first-year students will arrive for summer orientation, and the cycle of the academic year will be renewed.
Looking back over the last several weeks, I am amazed at how many activities and student events we enjoyed. This year’s Lit Fest was a huge success, with Paul Beatty and other great authors giving inspired readings. Our music and art students presented their capstone projects with amazing creativity; our design students completed their final projects with remarkable ingenuity; and many of our students submitted term papers that demonstrated their research achievements. On my way across campus yesterday, the academic year was beautifully captured as I saw two coeds posing with their mortarboards and Deshaun Watson jerseys in front of the Tiger Cub. What a great picture!
From my office, I see students saying goodbye for the summer and taking the unmistakable “end-of-the-semester” stroll across the library bridge. As we transition into the summer, I am reminded that the absence of students on campus is temporary, but we can look forward to fewer meetings over the next two months and possibly less traffic.
Campus accolades
Congratulations are in order for a number of CAAH students and faculty who are receiving University-level awards this week:
Alumni Master Teacher Award – Joe Burgett, Construction Science and Management
Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award – Matthew Leckenbusch, Performing Arts
Frankie O. Felder Graduate Student Award – Deborah Wingler, Ph.D. program, Architecture + Health Concentration in Planning, Design and the Built Environment
Thomas Green Clemson Award for Excellence – Cynthia Haynes, English
Phil and Mary Bradley Award for Mentoring in Creative Inquiry – Arelis Moore de Peralta, Department of Languages
Arelis Moore de Peralta earned the Phil and Mary Bradley Award for Mentoring in Creative Inquiry.
I also want to recognize Jan Holmevik of English, who recently took the gavel as the new president of the Faculty Senate and Matt Powers of the Landscape Architecture program, the most recent CAAH graduate from the President’s Leadership Institute. Congratulations to all these members of the College who have been recognized by their peers for their outstanding teaching, research and/or service to Clemson University.
I close with the sad news of the passing of Nick Peck, the longtime Tiger Band announcer and author of band’s signature “The Band That Shakes the Southland” tagline. Nick was one of the first people I met upon my arrival at Clemson and he will be missed by all of us in the Clemson family.
Congratulations to the Class of 2018 and best wishes to all for a fun, productive and relaxing summer.
