Elegance and Grit
Ron Rash writes about the places he knows best — the mountains and foothills of the Carolinas.
Archive for month: September, 2015
Beyond Pink
A year-round approach to breast cancer awareness, detection and recovery
Travelers Summer-Fall 2015
Thailand Jay Foster ’14 found a fellow tiger at Tiger Temple in Kanchanaburi.
Filling their Clemson Buckets
Seniors celebrated their status this year with a week of events centered around the theme “The Clemson Bucket List.” Seniors had the opportunity to rub the rock, share lunch at the Esso Club, tour the carillon bells of Tillman, tour the indoor practice facility and dance the night away at a Senior Ball on the lawn of Littlejohn.
They also took the time to record their thoughts about what they would miss most about Clemson, pin their future location on a map of the country and display their decorated mortarboards. See more photos at clemson.world.
Cape Fear Clemson Club
For the fifth year in a row, the Cape Fear Clemson Club sponsored a water/aid station for the Quintilles Wrightville Beach Marathon in March. This year, they were graced with the Tiger’s attendance at the weekend events!
"Education has been the ticket for me": C. Tycho Howle ’71, M ’73
This past spring, C. Tycho Howle stepped up to the microphone and told a room full of Clemson faithful, “I’m glad to be home.”
The stage at his alma mater was a long way from his humble beginnings in a small South Carolina town, but Howle never forgot how important education has been in his success.
With two degrees from Clemson and one from Harvard, Howle became a pioneer in the e-business world and an Atlanta philanthropist. A company he founded in 1983, Harbinger Computer Services, grew to more than 40,000 active customers, 1,000 employees spread across eight countries and annual revenues exceeding $155 million.
“All along the way, a quality education has been the ticket for me to be able to move on to the next stage of life,” Howle said in an interview. “I think most people know how important education can be to a successful career, but I take every chance I can to reinforce that notion with the young people I encounter.”
Now retired and living in Naples, Florida, Howle returned to Clemson to help recognize Eileen Kraemer as the C. Tycho Howle Director of the School of Computing. Her directorship was the second endowed chair his family has supported.
Howle began life in Lancaster, a small city about 40 miles south of Charlotte. The son of a mechanic and seamstress, he was the youngest of eight brothers and sisters. He played football and ran track and did well on his SATs. He needed to pick a state-supported school and, as a Tigers fan, preferred Clemson.
He graduated with honors in physics and went on to get a master’s degree in systems engineering. After a few years at the consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton, Howle went to Harvard Business School for a master of business administration.
“When someone is given a lot, it seems to me that you’re also responsible for giving back,” he said. “It seems the more generous we have been, the more good fortune we’ve had in our life. Some might think that a cliché, but in our case it’s true.
“When I think about the people and organizations that have played a major role in my life, Clemson is in the top tier. It prepared me not only with a great education, but also with a good set of values and lasting friendships.”
Fort Hill Clemson Club builds endowment for Upstate students
The Fort Hill Clemson Club presents a check to Associate Vice President of Advancement Brian O’Rourke. From left: Brian O’Rourke, Larry Sloan, Flecther Anderson, Jim Douglas, Gregg Cooley.
Every year, the Fort Hill Clemson Club, with about 100 members, puts on a major event, the annual Recruiting Wrap Up, held just as football recruiting ends. They sell tickets, find sponsors, get the coaches and players on the program, and serve lots of barbecue.
It’s hard work but also enables the club to raise a substantial amount of money. When the decision for how to invest that money had to be made, the club took its cues from none other than Clemson’s founder and namesake. They decided to establish an endowment to provide scholarships for students from Pickens and Oconee counties.
“Thomas Green Clemson could have done a lot of things with his wealth that could have made a great immediate impact — maybe a bigger splash that would have given him more recognition,”
said club president Fletcher Anderson. “But he planned it in a way that would make an impact for the long run, and that influenced our thinking.”
Recently, on behalf of the club, Anderson presented a $50,000 check to Clemson for the scholarship endowment. The club funds annual scholarships as well.
“As I see it,” says Anderson, “the club will just continue to work to raise our endowment until our annual scholarships have all been replaced with endowed scholarships. Within 20 years, we may have a million dollar-plus endowment.”
The endowment is part of the Will to Lead for Clemson capital campaign.
For more information about how your club or organization can set up an endowment, contact Bubba Britton at bubba@clemson.edu.