The lifelong generosity of the McMahans continues with a gift to name the Richard A. McMahan School of Architecture
Last year, the Clemson University School of Architecture entered its second century with a new name and a new endowment. Thanks to the generosity of the late Richard A. “Dick” McMahan ’54, HD ’06 and his beloved late wife, Mary “Dinky” McMahan, the Richard A. McMahan School of Architecture is poised to expand and diversify its programs and opportunities for future generations — reflecting the couple’s lifelong commitment to education and community.
The story of the McMahans’ investment in Clemson begins with Dick’s father, Jefferson D. McMahan Jr., who graduated from Clemson in 1923. Dick and his older brother, Jefferson D. McMahan III ’51, followed in their father’s footsteps by attending Clemson Agricultural College. As a student and an ROTC cadet, Dick was active in the student government and as the TAPS yearbook editor. He served in the U.S. Army after graduation in 1954 before founding McMahan Construction Co., a business that grew into a multimillion-dollar enterprise.
In 1957, Dick married Dinky, a Georgia native who attended Georgia State Women’s College (now Valdosta State University). Together, they moved to DeLand, Florida. Dick and Dinky’s son, the late Michael T. McMahan ’77, and their daughter-in-law, Patricia Hennessey McMahan ’77, are also Clemson graduates.
Throughout their lifetime, the McMahans chose to leave a significant mark on the University through their gifts to scholarships, faculty, programs and technology. As ardent supporters of Clemson, they established the Richard A. McMahan Presidential Scholarship in 1993 and provided a foundational gift to the Clemson National Scholars program in 2000. The crown of their generosity was an unprecedented, planned gift through their estate plans.
Like her husband, Dinky was active in both business and philanthropic circles, owning Main Street Travel agency. While her husband served on the Clemson University Foundation’s board of directors, in the Florida legislature and on the boards of their local YMCA and Chamber of Commerce, Dinky served on the Stetson School of Music board of advisors, the Florida International Festival board and the St. Barnabas school board. Dick was also active with Rotary International and the Jaycees.
The McMahans’ planned gift creates an endowment that will provide critical funding for the Richard A. McMahan School of Architecture, supporting operations, student and faculty programming, and enabling Clemson to attract national and international experts as design critics and speakers. Through the name and work of the Richard A. McMahan School of Architecture, the McMahans’ deep-rooted service to and support for the Clemson Family will be celebrated and remembered for years to come.
