James Roland “Jim” McDonell, 73, of Belton, passed away on August 17, 2023, in Anderson, S.C.
McDonell served a professor and founding member of the Institute on Family & Neighborhood Life at Clemson University. At Clemson, he helped to establish a Ph.D in International Family & Community Studies, taught graduate courses, mentored numerous graduate students, and was an active researcher. His research examined neighborhood indicators of child safety and family well-being, focusing on risk and protective factors for child maltreatment, adolescent dating violence, and teen pregnancy.
The value of his scholarship was recognized by scholars and community organizations. In 2004, the Chapter of the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children named him “Researcher of the Year.” He served as Director of the Institute on Family & Neighborhood Life from 2012 until his retirement in 2017.
He was a graduate of Methodist College, the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill and he received his doctorate from Columbia University, New York.
A celebration of Jim’s life will be held at the residence on Friday, August 25, from 4-7 p.m.
As McDonell’s career was centered around strengthening families to help reduce child abuse, please consider a donation in his memory to the child abuse organization of your choice or locally to First Light (formerly Foothills Alliance), 216 East Calhoun St., Anderson, S.C. 29621.
His obituary is available online.
