Reprint from Summer 2000 Clemson World Magazine
Clemson University’s electrical and computer engineering department has been formally named the Milton Winford Holcombe Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.
The naming ceremony, held June 23 [2000], honored Holcombe, a 1953 graduate and electronics communication pioneer who has been a pillar of support to Clemson for nearly half a century.
More than 100 people attended the dedication, which included the unveiling of a portrait of Holcombe displayed in the freshly renovated atrium of Riggs Hall, which houses the electrical and computer engineering department and administrative offices for the College of Engineering and Science.
Holcombe and his wife, Betty, donated $5 million – the University’s largest gift from an individual – to the College of Engineering and Science on behalf of the department. The record-setting gift will address critical needs in the department and provide annual funding for graduate fellowships and support for top faculty, as well as push Clemson a notch higher as a national institution.
Counted in that total is the creation of the Milton W. and Betty Holcombe Chair in Electrical and Engineering in 1987. Longtime support includes annual giving and volunteer service.
Holcombe serves on advisory boards for the College of Engineering and Science, as well as the department. He is a former director of the Clemson University Foundation Board. His wife is currently a director on the Clemson University Foundation Board and serves on the Foundation Board Investment Committee.
An inaugural member of the Thomas Green Clemson Academy of Engineers and Scientists, Holcombe was awarded an honorary doctor of laws degree in recognition of his significant contributions to the field of electrical engineering, Clemson and the nation.
Holcombe co-founded Electrospace System Inc., a company credited with many advances in high-tech communications and defense technology. He also developed the strategic air command system used by the Air Force to keep the U.S. president in touch with key officials during an international crisis.
