Clemson University mourns the death of visionary administrator, former dean and retired professor of Economics Robert E. (Bobby) McCormick who passed away surrounded by his family in his home in Clemson, S.C. on September 3, 2023.
“Dr. Bobby McCormick embodied what it means to be a Clemson Tiger,” said University President Jim Clements. “Bobby upheld the Clemson values and strove to make the world a better place. A national scholar in Economics, a service member in the armed forces, the co-founder of the Clemson Institute for the Study of Capitalism, former dean of the College of Business, retired professor of Economics and most recently a 2022 Clemson Medallion recipient, Bobby was always All-In for Clemson. He was an incredible friend and advisor and will be deeply missed by our Clemson Family.”
McCormick is survived by his wife, Valerie Jean DeVries, and sons Exley McCormick and Jesse McCormick.
Service details will be shared when they become available.
Obituaries for active employees, retirees and current students are issued by Marketing and Communications once we are able to confirm the information. Since faculty and staff live and work throughout the state, we depend on university departments, colleagues or friends to notify us of the deaths of active employees and retirees.
About Bobby McCormick’s Service to Clemson
After McCormick graduated from Clemson with a bachelor’s degree in economics in 1972 and a master’s in environmental economics in 1974, he earned his Ph.D. in economics from Texas A&M in 1978 and came to Clemson to serve vital roles in some of Clemson’s proudest achievements as an institution.
McCormick served as a faculty member in economics at Clemson from 1982-2007, and he became dean of the College of Business in 2014, serving until 2018. McCormick was awarded several Clemson University teaching awards, including the Prince Innovative Teacher of the Year (1998), the Alumni Professor of the Year (2000), the MBA Professor of the Year and the National Scholars Mentor Award (2004 and 2006).
In 2005, McCormick co-founded the Clemson Institute for the Study of Capitalism (CISC), which works with students, the academic community and the public to increase awareness of capitalism’s core principles and institutions. It is the first and only university-based research and teaching center devoted to exploring capitalism’s moral, legal, political and economic foundations.
McCormick was instrumental in creating the goals and producing the metrics and financial data for the Board of Trustees to fund the top-20 public university initiative. He also produced the metrics, financial data and case study for trustees to determine the direction of Clemson’s athletic conference affiliation, which led to two football national championships.
In addition to his time as dean, McCormick was the academic leader on the programming, design and construction of The Wilbur O. and Ann Powers College of Business building, the first standalone facility for the business school, now one of the defining structures on Clemson’s campus.
For his lifetime commitment to serving Clemson University, McCormick was honored with the Clemson Medallion in 2022. The Clemson Medallion is the highest honor conferred by Clemson University. This honor recognizes an individual who has demonstrated a long and sustained commitment and significant service to Clemson University. The award is named in honor of the benefactor of Clemson University, Thomas Green Clemson, an advocate for scientific education and the advancement of agriculture.
