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Norville Family Makes Transformational Gift to CECAS

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Mitch and Carla Norville have been loyal supporters of Clemson since the 1980s. They have faithfully given back to the University they love, strengthening programs and initiatives in both academics and athletics. Throughout the years the Norvilles have been instrumental in helping Clemson and its students thrive.
Now, they are showing their support once again with a transformational $2.5 million gift to the College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences. With this, Mitch and Carla Norville became the eighth Cornerstone partner for the University and the first for CECAS.
Past contributions from the Norville family include a gift that created the Ernest R. Norville Endowed Chair in Biomedical Engineering, named in honor of Mitch Norville’s father, and significant contributions to IPTAY, including the Norville Family Gate at the West End Zone of Memorial Stadium.
Since the first degrees were granted in 1896, Clemson engineers and scientists have made significant contributions to our state, our nation and the world. Recognized as South Carolina’s leader in educating engineers, Clemson’s College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences places high priority on state-of-the art facilities, student scholarships and endowed professorships. The Norville family’s gift will go a long way toward making sure those priorities are met.
Focusing on the three areas as outlined by Dean Anand Gramopadhye, the gift provides flexibility and adaptability as the priorities evolve and change over the years, ensuring CECAS will continue preparing students to be intellectual leaders who can tackle tomorrow’s challenges.
Gramopadhye calls the Norvilles’ gift forward thinking: “As our first Academic Cornerstone partners, they are paving the way for others. Great talent, exceptional facilities and cutting-edge programming leading to impactful experiences are the three ingredients for success in academia. The Norvilles’ gift brings together all three.”
Mitch Norville graduated from Clemson in 1980 with a degree in mechanical engineering. He retired as chief operating offi-cer of Boston Properties and is the owner of Atlantic South Development Inc. His willingness to give back to his alma mater has resulted in leadership roles within the Clemson University Foundation, where he is the immediate past chair and continues to serve on the board of directors.

The Lessons of Nature

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Quattlebaum CenterStudents have new opportunities to enjoy and learn about our surroundings

WHILE HE WAS A STUDENT in the Bridge to Clemson program, Andy Quattlebaum spent many happy hours at the Snow Family Outdoor Fitness and Wellness Complex. Along with an interest in wildlife conservation, Andy loved camping, rock climbing, boating and many of the activities that the complex offers.
[pullquote]When Andy passed away in 2019, his parents, Don and Hayden Quattlebaum, wanted to honor his memory in a way that would reflect his love for the great outdoors and also provide an expanded learning opportunity for future generations of University students.[/pullquote] Their gift created the Andy Quattlebaum Outdoor Education Center on the grounds of the Snow Family Outdoor Fitness and Wellness Complex.
Blending with the natural beauty of its surroundings, the Quattlebaum Center reflects Clemson’s dedication to sustainability and preservation while focusing on education and leisure activities. As one of two facilities in the country to use southern yellow pine cross-laminated timber (material first tested by a Clemson Creative Inquiry group), the 16,500-square-foot Outdoor Education Center will serve as a national model for educational recreation and leisure space.  A patio and second-level deck offer commanding views of Lake Hartwell while a boathouse and equipment rental offer a more active lake experience. Dedicated multiuse classroom spaces provide room for trip planning and experiential learning.
The Quattlebaum Center houses the Clemson Outdoor Recreation and Education Program (CORE), which provides the Clemson community with a variety of outdoor adventure opportunities. Recreational trips and instructional programs are scheduled throughout the year and include backpacking, whitewater rafting, paddle boarding, kayaking, skiing and rock climbing. Trips are designed for every skill level, from beginner to advanced adventurer.
Created to be a destination that brings students together and connects them with outdoor recreation, activities provided at the Quattlebaum Center will place an emphasis on wellness, relaxation and experiences that promote physical, mental and emotional health.
The center also provides opportunity for student leadership. Clemson senior Katie Hansen says that serving as a CORE trip leader has been one of her most rewarding Clemson experiences. “Every mile or extra pound of gear in my backpack becomes infinitely worth the work when I see the empowerment and joy of the outdoors being shared,” said Hansen, who has led more than 20 trips with CORE. “We may only have these students for hours or days at a time, but the privileges of leadership, service and teaching are ones that we strive to make the most of each and every trip.”
Andy Quattlebaum’s love for Clemson came naturally. His father, Don, graduated in 1976, his grand-father in 1934 and his great-grandfather in 1909. His grandfather, Alexander McQueen Quattlebaum, was an engineering professor at Clemson and went on to serve on the board of trustees from 1958-74.
Now the Quattlebaums continue the family legacy of giving back to Clemson, as they become the University’s seventh Academic Cornerstone Partner with their $2.7 million gift. $500,000 will be used to support the Baruch Institute of Coastal Ecology and Forest Science in Georgetown, along with support for Clemson students who work at the institute. But it is the creation of the campus outdoor education center named to honor the memory of their son that is especially meaningful to their family.
“It is our hope that this beautiful facility will help many others learn about, appreciate and love the outdoors as Andy did,” said Don Quattlebaum. “In this world where there is a growing concern for the environment and man’s place in it, the more that people can learn about the outdoors and participate in all that it has to offer, the better chance that they will make better choices in life about the world around us.”

New Endowment Supports Snelsire, Sawyer and Robinson Clemson Career Workshop

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Clemson career workshop

Anthony L. Mattis ’86, chair of the fundraising committee for the endowment, spoke during the gala.


Since its beginning in 1977, the Clemson Career Workshop has invested in academically talented, underrepresented high school students by introducing them to Clemson through a summer residential program. The program’s original goals were to increase the number of students of color at Clemson in general as well as students of color majoring in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). The workshop provides college preparation, networking and residential campus experiences.
Last October, a fundraising gala was held to honor the two founders and an outstanding alumnus of the program by renaming the CCW as the Snelsire, Sawyer and Robinson Clemson Career Workshop. The event also celebrated the establishment of an endowment to provide resources for the ongoing operation of the workshop. The program’s advisory board set a goal of $1 million in support of the program, with a kickoff pledge goal of $250,000 to establish the initial fund.
The three honorees have dedicated their lives to supporting STEM education at Clemson. Robert Snelsire is an emeritus professor of electrical engineer-ing who served as the director of the then College of Engineering’s Minority Program from 1977-1991. He founded the Programs for Educational Enrichment and Retention (PEER) and the Math Excellence Workshop. His engineering workshop was the inspiration for the Clemson Career Workshop.
Corrine Sawyer is an emerita professor of English. In 1982, she helped Snelsire expand the minority recruitment engineering workshop to a summer program, officially creating the Clemson Career Workshop.
Darryl Leshay Robinson is an alumnus, former head counselor and longtime advocate of the CCW. After earning undergrad-uate and graduate degrees in industrial engineering, he continually gave back to his alma mater through the CCW. Throughout his career in executive management, Robinson has been devoted to inspiring high school students, showing them a path toward academic success and professional achievement.
For more than 40 years, the career workshop has played a major role in attracting talented, high-achieving students from across South Carolina to Clemson. The newly established endowment will ensure that the SSRCCW continues its work for many future generations.

Leaving His Mark at Clemson

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Jerry Dempsey Legacy Leaf2019 Legacy Day honors the late Jerry Dempsey

Fort Hill is the historic home of the University’s founders, Thomas and Anna Clemson. It has also become a place to honor those who followed their legacy of generosity and giving that made this University what it is today. Since 2009, the Clemson Family has gathered each fall to memorialize donors who have given more than $1 million to Clemson, inducting them into the Fort Hill Legacy Society through the placement of a bronze leaf on the grounds in their memory. Last year, a leaf was placed in memory of the late Jerry Dempsey.
Jerry Dempsey was a 1954 mechanical engineering graduate who went on to a successful business career and distinguished civic leadership. After retirement, he returned home to the Upstate and helped his alma mater with some of its most strategically important projects. He established scholarships and served on numerous boards and committees, including the College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences Advisory Board. In 2017, he created the Harriet and Jerry Dempsey Research Conference, an annual partnership between Clemson and Prisma Health-Upstate that draws more than 150 engineers, medical doctors, faculty members and students to hear talks by some of the nation’s leading health researchers.

The Ultimate Field Trip

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Gift provides students with opportunities for education abroad

Hendrix FamilyTHE LATE PAM HENDRIX was an international traveler who understood the incredible learning experiences that studying abroad could provide. In fact, for many years she instilled her passion for travel in her own children so that they might learn and grow through the shared experience of traveling the world together.
As part of the adventure, the Hendrix family saved money in a “Dream Jar” that they all contributed to. In 2015, that jar became the inspiration behind the Pamela Maddex Hendrix Dream Jar Travel Endowment, established by her children and their spouses. Since that fund was created, more than 38 Clemson students have been able to study abroad thanks to the Dream Jar Endowment.
When Pam Hendrix passed away in 2018, her family could think of no better way to honor her memory than to expand upon the Dream Jar Endowment and create a center at Clemson dedicated to preparing students who want to pursue international education. Research has shown that preparation is a key factor for a successful study abroad experience. The Pam Hendrix Center for Education Abroad will provide students with the opportunity to apply for a planning scholarship during their freshman year. During the interim, scholarship recipients will take part in the “Dream Jar Curriculum,” working alongside academic advisers and receiving financial aid to plan a study abroad experience that aligns with their professional and financial goals.
Through the Hendrix family’s gift, Clemson will be able to help students learn, study and research in other countries. “Pam’s story of encouraging her family to travel while ensuring they planned and prepared for their adventures was the inspiration behind the center,” said Sharon Nagy, associate provost for Global Engagement. “We hope to honor her legacy by inspiring students to follow their dreams while also helping plan for them.”
Study abroad and other global engagement opportunities expand the learning environment beyond the classroom into unique and often challenging cultural contexts. The Pam Hendrix Center for Education Abroad will provide operational support to international student engagement programs that align with the University’s goals and emphasis areas. The center will support the development of activities, programs, exchanges and events that foster global and intercultural aware-ness, knowledge and understanding among faculty, staff and students.
The Hendrix family’s impact at Clemson has been far-reaching, throughout both academics and athletics, for many years. Pam’s husband of 50 years, Bill Hendrix ’63, M ’68, was student body president while he was a Clemson undergraduate and has been on the Clemson board of trustees since 1995. He served as board chair for three terms from 2003 to 2009. The Hendrix family’s leadership, service and philanthropy have touched almost every aspect of Clemson University, including the Hendrix Student Center, which provides students with invaluable resources and opportunities. With this latest gift inspired by their adventurous matriarch, the Hendrix family is ensuring that future generations of Clemson students will have access to quality study abroad opportunities and, by extension, life-changing experiences.