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Determined Spirits

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Dan Stanzione, Charles Dalton, Thomas Alexander and Steve Griffith

Dan Stanzione, Charles Dalton, Thomas Alexander and Steve Griffith

Clemson has graduated many an ambitious man and woman. Each year, the Alumni Association recognizes a select number of those who have demonstrated an extraordinary level of commitment to its three tiers of evaluation: enhancing the value of the University for future generations; professional and public service; and personal accomplishments that serve as a model for present and future Clemson students.
Whether in the House or in the boardroom, the classroom or the CEO suite, the 2014 Distinguished Service Award recipients have always displayed a drive to do better, to be better for both themselves and for the sake of giving back to their Clemson community.

Thomas C. Alexander ’78

The world of politics has a special draw for Sen. Thomas Alexander. Something in these hills spurred him on to a political career that began with Walhalla City Council in 1981 after completing his bachelor’s degree in economics. He was elected to the S.C. House of Representatives in 1986 and served for two terms before becoming the senator for S.C. Senate District One.
Chair of the Senate Labor, Commerce and Industry Committee, as well as the Public Utility Review Committee, Alexander also chairs the Health and Human Services Subcommittee and serves on the Senate Finance Committee, the Medical Affairs Committee, the Banking and Insurance Committee and the Joint Bond Review Committee. He holds multiple leadership responsibilities in the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Alexander has been a strong supporter of Clemson through legislative initiatives to provide funding for Public Service Activities, the Wind Turbine Drivetrain Testing facility, new research facilities through the S.C. Research University Infrastructure Act and endowed faculty positions through the SmartState Center of Economic Excellence program.
Owner of Alexander Office Supply, located in Oconee County, Alexander has received the Franklin G. Mason Award from the S.C. Lions Foundation, the S.C. Chamber of Commerce Business Advocate Award, the S.C. Commission for the Blind Foundation Legislator of the Year Award and an honorary doctorate of humanities from the Medical University of South Carolina.

Charles E. Dalton ’64

For Charles Dalton, Clemson always has been a family affair. He grew up in Pickens, attending campus events with his family before enrolling as a student. His three children followed suit.
For more than 35 years, he has been a loyal donor to Clemson University and for 40 years he has been an IPTAY member, recently serving as president. He has served on the University’s Board of Visitors, the Clemson University Foundation Board of Directors and the Alumni Association Board, and gave a major gift to the WestZone project.
But Dalton’s leadership has been evident in his community and throughout the state as well. He has served on the boards of organizations ranging from Upstate Alliance of South Carolina and Cannon Memorial Hospital to the Palmetto Conservation Center and the Peace Center for the Performing Arts. Recognized as the S.C. Development Ally of the Year, he was presented the S.C. Individual Initiative Award by the governor and the Outstanding Community Service Award by the Better Business Bureau.
After co-owning and operating the family’s furniture store, Dalton’s Furniture and Carpet, he became president and CEO of Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative in 1982, then added the roles of president and CEO for Blue Ridge Security Solutions in 1992.
His love of Clemson dance weekends during his college years was the impetus for him to develop Blue Ridge Fest, an employee-driven event hosted by Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative that features live performances by beach music entertainers.

Steve C. Griffith Jr. ’54

Steve Griffith knows power — both at the capital and in the grid. After devoting his first few post-graduation years to practicing law in Newberry and then serving in the S.C. House of Representatives, Griffith became part of Duke Power. He retired as general counsel and vice chair in 1997 after more than 30 years with the company.
In 1988, he was appointed by President Ronald Reagan to chair the Presidential Commission on Catastrophic Nuclear Accidents. He also served on the board of directors for Nuclear Mutual Limited from 1988 to 1997, and chaired the American Bar Association section of Public Utility, Communications and Transportation Law in 1994.
Affectionately known as the “Father of the Rowing Team,” Griffith provided support to start the Clemson Crew men’s and women’s rowing teams. Having served on the Board of Visitors and the Clemson University Foundation Board of Directors, Griffith led a campaign among Clemson alumni at Duke Power for donations that were matched by the company. These gifts made possible the establishment of an endowed chair in engineering.
In 1989, he chaired the Arts and Science Council Campaign in Charlotte, which raised nearly $2 million. He helped establish the Lawyers Volunteer Program for the Charlotte Bar Association, and in 1995, Griffith received the Robinson Award, Duke Power’s highest honor, for his work to help establish a homeless shelter.

Daniel C. Stanzione Sr. ’67, M ’68, PhD ’72

Daniel Stanzione is a Tiger three times over. An Air Force cadet and a member of Delta Kappa Alpha fraternity, he graduated with a degree in electrical engineering, then stayed at Clemson to complete a master’s degree in environmental systems engineering and a Ph.D. in electrical and computer engineering. He credits Professor Maurice Wolla for introducing him to his first small computer and preparing him for the professional world.
President emeritus of Bell Laboratories, Stanzione began his career at the company in 1972 and worked his way up through the ranks, becoming president in 1995 as well as COO of Lucent Technologies in 1997. A Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, he has published a multitude of papers on computer simulation, microprocessors and software designs. He continues to serve as a director or adviser for several technology companies.
Elected to the Thomas Green Clemson Academy of Engineers and a member of the President’s Advisory Board, Stanzione established an endowment benefiting women majoring in engineering. He is a founding member of the Clemson Leadership Circle and Barker Scholars Endowment, and a member of the John C. Calhoun Society and the Clemson Legacy Society. Stanzione serves on the Clemson University Foundation board of directors, and the corporate and foundation relations committee of The Will to Lead capital campaign.
To see videos that capture the essence of these four determined spirits, go to
clemson.edu/clemsonworld and click on “In These Hills.

The Clemson Medallion

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Two trustees awarded Clemson’s highest honor

In March, Thomas B. McTeer Jr. and Joseph D. Swann were awarded the Thomas Green Clemson Medallion, the University’s highest public honor. The Clemson Medallion is awarded to those members of the Clemson Family whose dedication and service embody the spirit of the University’s founder. These two long-serving trustees who worked quietly and passionately have made immeasurable contributions to Clemson through leadership, teamwork and perseverance from classroom to career.

Thomas B. McTeer ’60


William Shakespeare said, “When words are scarce they are seldom spent in vain,” and Thomas B. McTeer’s more than 35 years of service to Clemson as a man of few words but great action are a testament to this statement.
And to think this longtime Tiger fan almost became a Gamecock.
McTeer was set on playing Carolina football when Coach Frank Howard offered him a last-minute scholarship. He would go on to become one of the longest-serving members of Clemson’s Board of Trustees, his passion for teamwork and unity evoking a drive that would see the University through challenge and triumph, from integration to winning a national football championship and becoming a top-25 public university.
As an industrial management major, McTeer played football and ran track; was involved in student government, Tiger Brotherhood and Blue Key Honor Society; and served as vice president of the Central Dance Association and the senior class.
President of McTeer Real Estate since 1964, McTeer also has served on the Columbia Board of Realtors and the Columbia Zoning Board of Adjustment Appeals, and offers his skills and expertise to Clemson as a member of the Real Estate Foundation Board.
McTeer’s Clemson legacy has also continued through family ties. All three of his daughters are Clemson graduates as well as one of his grandchildren; two grandchildren are current students. An IPTAY and Clemson Fund donor, McTeer established the Sandra B. McTeer Memorial Scholarship Endowment in memory of his late wife. Chair of the board from 1981 to 1983, he was named Trustee Emeritus in 2012 after retiring from his tenure that began in 1976.

Joseph D. Swann ’63


When he took part in student government’s efforts to welcome Harvey Gantt to Clemson in 1963, Joseph D. Swann demonstrated the self-discipline and leadership skills he would later use to help guide the University to national and international acclaim.
A Clemson University trustee for 23 years and two-term vice chair of the board, Swann demonstrated a passion for service throughout his undergraduate career as a ceramic engineering major. He was involved with student government and Blue Key Honor Society and served as vice president of the junior and senior classes. He also lent his talents as a writer to the engineering magazine Slipstick and The Tiger student newspaper.
Swann began his career in the ceramics industry by working as a development engineer for the Ferro Corp. in Cleveland, Ohio. He went on to become the division materials manager and earned an MBA from Case Western Reserve University.
After taking a job with Reliance Electric in 1969, he moved his family back south, eventually settling in Greenville and becoming vice president and general manager of the company. He was named senior vice president in 1995 when Rockwell Automation acquired Reliance Electric, and he became president in 1998. Though he retired in 2007, he continued to serve as chair of the board of directors for integrated power services.
A recipient of the Clemson Alumni Association Distinguished Service Award in 1995, Swann has served as an IPTAY representative and is a past member of the Board of Visitors. All three of his children are Clemson graduates, and his family left a permanent mark on the University in 2003 when the Swann Fitness Center was dedicated after their generous donation.

Determined Spirits

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Determined Spirits


In April, five Clemson alumni joined a select group and received the highest honor bestowed upon a former student by the Alumni Association. All five of these honorees have experienced success in their lives, personally and professionally. But one quality ties them together, more than all the others. And that’s their determination. They were determined in the classroom and on the playing field, in their communities and their careers, in their public personas and in their personal lives. And they bring that determination to their continuing involvement with Clemson.

A can-do attitude

William L. “Roy” Abercrombie Jr. ’69 learned early on in his life that “Can’t can never do anything.” That can-do attitude was nurtured along by his professors at Clemson, including Dean Wallace Trevillian, who required shirts and ties at all his management classes.
Though he started out in sales, Abercrombie ended up in banking. He rose to chair of the board, CEO and president at American Federal, where he served until 1997, when the bank merged with CCB–Central Carolina Bank. He continued with CCB until his retirement in 2003. He currently serves as chair of Colliers International–Greenville.
Abercrombie is a life IPTAY member, WestZone Initiative and Heisman-level donor, member of the Leadership Circle, and former member and past chair of the Board of Visitors. He was instrumental in securing resources needed to enable the board to promote the University. Past chair of the Clemson Real Estate Foundation, he is a founding member and chair of the Clemson Land Stewardship Foundation.

A thinker and a problem-solver

E. Mitchell “Mitch” Norville ’80 got his degree in engineering, but thanks to Professor Douglas Bradbury, he came to see himself as a thinker and problem-solver. He worked as an engineer for a couple of years before going to the University of Virginia to earn his MBA and continue his career at Boston Properties, one of the largest self-managed real estate investment trusts specializing in the development and ownership of office, industrial and hotel properties in the United States.
Clemson may not be the city on his driver’s license, but it does have his heart. A board member for the Baltimore/Washington D.C. Clemson Club, he has made significant financial contributions to Clemson’s basketball program and the WestZone, where Gate 6 was named the “Norville Family Gate” in honor of his family.
A founding member of the President’s Leadership Circle, he endowed the Ernest R. Norville Chair in Biomedical Engineering in honor of his father. He serves on the Clemson University Foun-dation Board of Directors, the President’s Advisory Board and the Advancement Board for Real Estate Development.

The eye of the needle

At 6 feet and 135 pounds, James Warren “Jimmy” Addison ’68 didn’t see himself as a potential college football star. Fortunately, Coach Fred Cone thought differently and recruited the young man known as “the Needle.” Addison went on to capture honors including All ACC Quarterback, S.C. Athlete of the Year and an NCAA Post-graduate Scholarship. Three ACC Championships helped cement his membership in the Athletic Hall of Fame.
His determination on the field was matched in the classroom and in ROTC. A member of Scabbard and Blade, he graduated with both the Norris Medal and the Algernon Sidney Sullivan Award. He went on to law school at the University of Virginia and now chairs the Commercial Real Estate Section at Troutman Sanders LLP.
Addison has served on the Alumni Association Board of Directors and the Advancement Board for the School of Humanities. He also established the Virginia and Bill Addison Endowment for the Humanities and has served as chair of Clemson’s Athletic Hall of Fame. In addition, Addison has given much of his recent time to the Clemson University Foundation Board.

Paving the way to success

Russell Carlton Ashmore Jr. ’50 has always had a way of turning roadblocks into opportunities — in athletics and academics, professionally and personally. When his football career ended for medical reasons, he served as an Army cadet and focused on his studies. When his pre-med dreams met a queasy stomach, he still found ways to provide medical care, both here and abroad, to those unable to afford it.
After graduation, Ashmore served in the U.S. Army and the Reserves, then returned to Clemson to pursue his interest in ceramic engineering, after which he took a position at General Shale in Tennessee. While on his way up the corporate ladder, he was convinced to return to the family business in grading, paving and excavation. He not only helped guide the family business, but also served as an industry leader.
For more than five decades, Ashmore has been a member of IPTAY and an annual donor to the Clemson Fund. An active supporter of Clemson Corps, he was one of the principal organizers and fundraising chair for the Military Heritage Plaza and Cadet Monument. President of the Class of 1950, he is co-founder of the Taylors Clemson Touring Club — the originators of orange overalls at football games.

One Clemson

“There’s never been a Duckworth who didn’t want to win,” says Edgar James “Ed” Duckworth ’61. But as competitive as he may be, Duckworth believes that it’s not winning or losing that matters in the long run, but how you play the game. And though he is a supporter of Clemson athletics, it is the philosophy of “One Clemson” that has captured his heart.
Duckworth graduated with a degree in civil engineering, then transitioned into the world of finance, where he has had a 40-year career in the securities industry as a broker, dealer and financial adviser. He is currently the senior member of an elite group of financial advisers for Morgan Stanley in Atlanta.
A member of the Clemson University Foundation Board of Directors, Duckworth is vice chair of the finance committee and a member of the Will to Lead National Campaign Committee. He was instrumental in helping the Atlanta Clemson Club fund the Clemson Tiger Paw license plate in Georgia, and continues to support IPTAY, Clemson Fund, alumni activities and the Class of 1961. He and his family recently made a major contribution to build the Duckworth Family Pavilion to support Clemson’s tennis teams.