Scholarship endowment to honor Barker and first lady

Jun 27, 2013, 11:13 AM

CLEMSON — Clemson University is establishing a scholarship endowment to honor its 14th president, James F. Barker, and his wife, Marcia. The Barker Scholars Unrestricted Scholarship Endowment will provide need-based scholarships for undergraduate students at the university.

A native of Tennessee, Barker was the first in his family to attend college and graduated from Clemson in 1970. However, his college career was nearly derailed at the end of his junior year when his savings ran out. Administrators and faculty realized his dilemma and awarded him the Langdon Cheves Scholarship, which helped pay for his senior year and enabled him to finish his degree in architecture.

Barker was named president of Clemson University in 1999. Since then, the Barkers have worked to increase financial support for need-based scholarships.

“I encourage all members of the Clemson family to join me and the other founding partners in giving to the Barker Scholars endowment,” said Jan. E. Childress of Easley, a member of “The Will to Lead” capital campaign executive committee. “In all my time as a Clemson volunteer, I have never been more honored – or excited – to be part of such a project. This is a unique opportunity to thank Marcia and Jim in a way that will benefit Clemson students for generations to come. Gifts of every size will be critical to the success of this effort.”

Donations to the Barker Scholars endowment may be made online or by check. Checks should be made payable to the Clemson Fund and mailed to Clemson Fund, P.O. Box 1889, Clemson, SC 29633. Indicate that the check is for the Barker Scholars.

The amount raised for the endowment by Aug. 26 will be announced publicly Aug. 31 during the Clemson-Georgia football game at Memorial Stadium. Gifts will be accepted beyond the announcement, but people are encouraged to make a gift now to show support and be counted in the public announcement.

The Barker Scholars endowment is part of The Will to Lead campaign, a $1 billion capital campaign to support Clemson students and faculty with scholarships, professorships, facilities, technology and enhanced opportunities for learning and research.

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Walter Cox. Barker was Dean for Lennon's eight years as president, but his trajectory toward President occurred under his real mentor Phil Prince who made him interim Dean of Liberal Arts and put him on the committee that consolidated Architecture and Liberal Arts (Prince then promptly made him Dean of the new school).

Barker is a Clemson man, and his career at Clemson was largely shaped by three Clemson men (Cox, Prince, and Barker's fraternity brother and fellow Letterwinner David Wilkins). Max Lennon always was and always will be an interloper. My fear is that Clemson may not have learned the lessons of Max Lennon (or more likely has forgotten them). Allegedly, we were seriously considering hiring away WVU's president to replace Barker - what a pathetic statement that would have made...

Scholarship endowment to honor Barker and first lady

Yeah right

Re: Yeah right

Did you graduate from Clemson under his reign?

No, I graduated while his mentor was President

You are lost. Barker was hired as Dean of Architecture by

You are kidding right?

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