Distinguished Service Award

The Clemson Alumni Association Distinguished Service Award

This prestigious award is the highest honor that the Association can bestow upon an alumnus or alumna, and is given to those former students who have not only devoted their life to professionalism and public service but who have also demonstrated a lifelong dedication to Clemson University.

The Distinguished Service Award is based upon three main criteria – dedication and service to Clemson University; personal and professional accomplishments; and devotion to one’s community and public service.

Through a competitive nomination process, members of the Clemson family may promote and support those who have given back in many ways and who deserve the honor of being recognized by the Alumni Association and their alma mater. Click here to learn more about nominating a Tiger for this award.

Nominations will open again for 2027 in May 2026.

Congratulations to the 2026 Distinguished Service Award Honorees

2026	James Rhett Hendricks, Jr. ’68, M ’71 Witt Irion Langstaff, Jr. ’75 Patricia “Patti” McAbee HA ’03 Dr. Boyd Hobson Parr ’76 Harrison F. “Hack” Trammell ’78
2025	James Timothy Hance ’84 Anthony Lee “Tony” Harbin ’88 Bryant Aubrey Harrell ’89 Lewis F. Holmes III ’73 David Carr Lockwood III ’84
2024	Margaret Segars Bond ’84 Julie Godshall Brown ’93 Michael Coakley ’91 Col. Sandy Edge, USAF (Ret) ’72 Dr. Samuel “Sam” Rogers Stone ’76
2023	Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Farris Carlos Hill ’86 Stuart C. McWhorter ’91 David P. Rochester Sr. ’68 Brad Smith ’82, ’83, ‘8 Robert J. Stanzione ’69
2022	Celeste De Laine “Clete” Boykin ’79 John L. Easterling III ’80 J. Allen Martin ’69 John W. Parris ‘58 General John W. “Jay” Raymond ’84 Mitchell S. “Micky” Scott ’75
2021	Phil Bradley ’65 Marvin G. Carmichael 71, MEd ’76 Robert B. Hambright ’70 Raymond E. Jones ’86 Michael Pennington Nieri ’86
2020	Dr. Thomas James “Jimmy” Bell, Jr. ’65 Mary Anne Bigger ’88 Jane Robelot DeCarvalho ’82 James Henry “Hank” Owen, Jr. ’73 Steven K. Watt ’81
2019	Lori Anne Carr ’90 M’92 Titus Duren ’71 James T. McCabe John N. McCarter Jr ’80 Gregory C. Smith ’84
2018	Neill Cameron Ann Hunter ’80, M’82 Tony Mathis ’86 Bill Smith Jr ’82 Mike Watt ’84
2017	Richard M. Davies ’86 John W. Kelly Jr ’77 Ronald D. Lee ’76 Perry Sprawls Jr ’56, M’61, PhD’68 James H. Stovall ’51
2016	Bryant Graves Barnes ’76 Janine Anthony Bowen ’89, M’91 E. Grantland Burns ’88 Leslie Dunlap Callison ’81 Douglas Duke Richardson ’64
2015	Robert J. “Bobby” Conrad Jr. ’80 Gerald M. Glenn ’64 Charles C. Mickel ’79 Gregg F. Morton ’78 Norman F. Pulliam, Sr. ’64
2014	Senator Thomas C. Alexander ’78 Charles E. Dalton ’64 Steve C. Griffith Jr. ’54 Daniel C. Stanzione Sr. ’67,’68,’72
2013	William L. “Roy” Abercrombie, Jr. ’69 James Warren “Jimmy” Addison ’68 R Russell Carlton Ashmore, Jr. ’50, ’55 Edgar James “Ed” Duckworth ’61 Ernest Mitchell “Mitch” Norville ’80
2012	Gosnold G. “Goz” Segars, Jr. ’66 William Kelly Durham ’80 Palmer E. “Satch” Krantz ’72 E. Smyth McKissick III ’79 Charles L Sullivan, Jr. ’66 Dr. Theodore G. “Ted” Westmoreland ’56
2011	Chalmers R. “Hap” Carr ’60 Harold D. “Doug” Kingsmore ’55 Wilbur O. “Billy” Powers ’57 Charles K. Watt ’59 Kimberlee A. Wilkerson ’80
2010	Thomas F. Chapman ’65 Jerry D. Handegan ’65 Bartow S. “Bo” Shaw, Jr. ’63 T. Larry Sloan ’74 Joseph M. Todd ’79, M ’83
2009	Mr. Harry H. Frampton III ’67 Dr. Eddie M. Robinson ’75 Mr. Neil C. Robinson Jr. ’66 Mr. Kenneth L. Smith ’81 Mrs. Jane S. Sosebee ’78
2008	R. Glenn Hilliard ’65 Kathy H. Hunter ’80, ’83 Roy B. Jeffcoat ’55 Danny L. Rhodes ’68 Randy R. Smith ’66, HD ’97
2007	Roger J. Troutman ’74 Fredrick W.Faircloth, III ’72 John H. Holcombe, Jr. ’58 M.Nick Lomax ’63 John W. Rheney, Jr. ’47
2006	Robert Donald Fairey, ’75 Frank Kellers, III, ’57 H. Lloyd Lancaster, Jr., ’48 Dr. Thomas Charles Mann, ’51 Robert J. Rutland, ’64
2005	Alan Johnstone ‘32 Debbie DuBose ‘75 Earle Gaulden ‘51 Margaret Worsham ‘71 Mendal Bouknight ‘74
2004	M. Padgett Black Jr. ’71, M ’73 Albert N. Cameron Sr. ’41 Rebecca A. Epting ’62 James L. Sutherland ’67 Thomas P. Turner Jr. ’51
2003	Alvin N. Berry ’65 Charles W. Bussey Jr. ’57 Benjamin T. Rook ’68, M ’74 David H. Wilkins ’68 Hughey A. Woodle Jr. ’51
2002	Rowland P. Alston Jr. ’70, M ’72 Carol K. Brown ’65 Beverly N. Skardon ’38 Arthur M. Spiro ’45 John E. Walker ’58
2001	Joel W. Collins Jr. ’65 Harry M. Lightsey Jr. ’52 Louis B. Lynn ’70, M ’72 John H. Pitts ’51 David S. Rozendale ’57
2000	James O. Sweeny ’39 Darra W. Cothran ’69 Renee J. Keese ’82 W. Richard Mattox ’51 F. William Vandiver ’64
1999	Paul E. Blackwell Sr. ’63 Dennis H. Kekas ’59 William John Park ’48 Thompson E. Penney ’72 Marshall “Sonny” White ’65
1998	Frank M. Bishop ’65 J. Richard Cottingham ’66 R. Thornwell Dunlap Jr. ’53 Laurie Coke Lawson ’53 Virginia C. Skelton ’58
1997	William C. Laffoday ’51 W. Joseph Lanham ’43 Thomas E. Skelton ’53 J.R. Swetenburg Jr. ’56 Joseph J. Turner Jr. ’71
1996	Carolyn Willis Creel ’61 William Charles Kennerty ’48 L.G. “Skip” Lewis Jr. ’66 James Edward Robinson ’40 Allen Price Wood ’63
1995	Frank Erwin Abell Jr. ’60 Donald Edward Golightly ’65 Leon J. “Bill” Hendrix Jr. ’63 Joseph Davis Swann ’63 Kermit Madison Watson ’34
1994	John Q. Adams III ’67 Henry Carroll Chambers ’49 Willie Cecil Godley ’43 William Philip Kennedy ’61 William Harry King ’44
1993	Leslie G. McCraw ’56 Emory G. Orahood Jr. ’43 Cyril Ovierre Shuler ’34 Byron K. Webb ’55 James Ryan White Jr. ’42
1992	Charles M. Campbell ’42 Jerry E. Dempsey ’54 Lawrence M. Gressette Jr. ’54 Frank E. Lucas ’59 Warren H. Owen ’47
1991	Frank S. Barnes Jr. ’42 Jack T. Day ’56 Harvey B. Gantt ’65 John T. Mundy Jr. ’28 Ted P. Pappas ’58
1990	James E. Bostic Jr. ’69 Walter K. Lewis ’37 Wellington M. Manning Jr. ’58 William J. Neely Jr. ’58 William B. Sturgis ’57
1989	Raymond A. All ’34 Robert C. Bradley ’49 Henry F. Cooper ’58 James P. Creel ’60 Bill Amick ’66
1988	Jesse Boyce ’44 Leonard Butler ’53 Milton Holcombe ’53 Tom Lynch ’58 Currie Spivey ’58
1987	Robert S. Campbell ’37 Winston A. Lawton ’37 George Bennett ’55 John D. Tice ’55 Robert H. Brooks ’60
1986	Wallace R. Roy ’26 Daniel S. Lesesne Jr. ’38 I.L. “Rusty” Donkle Jr. ’49 George J. Bishop III ’52 Jay D. Hair ’67
1985	Marion R. Lawton ’40 Lee W. Milford Jr. ’43 R. Ramsey Mellette Jr. ’47 Frank S. Hanckel Jr. ’55 John J. Britton ’58
1984	Rembert G. Horton ’30 Lewis Holmes ’44 William H. Hunter ’45 David L. Peebles ’49 Clifton D. Wright ’55
1983	Edwin P. Rogers ’31 S.F. Horton ’32 Philip H. Prince ’49 Billy G. Rogers ’49 William E. Dukes ’57
1982	C. Hoyt Rogers ’26 Cecil O. Browning ’37 Gordon Rogers ’37 Robert L. Stoddard ’41 H.C. McLellan ’54
1981	Matthew L. McHugh ’19 Frank M. Hubbard ’40 Marvin McClam ’43 Louis P. Batson Jr. ’48 Lawrence V. Starkey ’56
1980	Herbert P. Cooper ’11 DeWitt T. Hardin ’12 Eugene P. Willimon ’33 Edward L. Proctor ’47 Davis T. Moorhead ’54
1979	Hamilton E. Russell ’27 Clifford T. Smith ’27 Jesse H. Yarborough ’30 J. Garner Bagnal ’34 William W. Dukes ’38
1978	R. Brice Waters ’16 Murray M. Stokley ’36 George M. Williams ’39 Paul W. McAlister ’41 Ben Hudnall ’43
1977	Herman J. Nimitz ’17 Kenneth N. Vickery ’38 Paul J. Burns ’40 William H. Orders ’48 Sam E. McGregor ’49
1976	Thomas M. Hunter ’09 H. Hugh Dukes ’15 Ottis R. Causey ’27 George H. Aull Jr. ’44 George M. Moore ’58
1975	O. Romaine Smith ’33 Robert E. Marvin ’42 J. Givens Young ’42 Thomas E. Thornhill ’48 Robert H. Yeargin ’49
1974	George Chaplin ’35 Taze L. Senn ’39 Robert W. Moorman ’40 Edward L. Young ’41 Thomas C. Breazeale ’42
1973	O. Harold Folk ’37 Marshall E. Walker ’41 Wilson C. Wearn ’41 Harris W. Hollis ’42 Fletcher C. Derrick ’55
1972	Lucius H. Harvin ’34 Harold B. Risher ’38 T. Ed Garrison ’42 Glenn J. Lawhon ’46 Earle E. Morris ’49
1971	Gerald R. Tyler ’17 Deems Haltiwanger ’19 William S. Coleman ’39 J. Richard Sosnowski ’42 Rembert R. Stokes Jr. ’53
1970	Milton D. Berry ’13 States R.G. Finley ’18 William J. Clapp ’23 Thomas S. Millford ’29 Charles E. Hammond ’42
1969	John W. Lewis ’08 Thomas S. Buie ’17 Harper S. Gault ’28 C. Calhoun Lemon ’32 Earl Mazo ’40
1968	Claude Hayden ’12 James G. Gee ’17 Jesse A. White ’24 Howard D. Nottingham ’35 Julian Dusenberry ’42
1967	B. Rhett Turnipseed ’96 S.R. Rhodes ’07 John M. Fleming ’26 George G. Durst ’30 Harry S. Ashmore ’37
1966	T. Wilbur Thornhill ’14 William J. Erwin ’21 Henry C. Coleman ’26 Sherwood E. Liles ’27 J. Banks McFadden ’40
1965	E. Hugh Agnew ’16 George H. Aull Sr. ’19 Goode Bryan ’18 William Grier ’23 Walter Cox ’39
1964	Frank Kolb ’20 James H. Sams ’24 Amos Priester Jr. ’32 Joe Sherman ’34 William Folk Jr. ’37
1963	John P. Tarbox ’04 F. Porter Caughman ’08 Robert M. Jones ’30 Walter Snyder ’30 R. Roy Pearce ’41
1962	Silas N. Pearman ’24 J. Wilson Newman ’31 Patrick N. Calhoun ’32 Robert C. Edwards ’33 William G. DesChamps ’38
1961	Theodore C. Heyward ’08 Samuel Littlejohn ’17 J. Strom Thurmond ’23 John R. Heller ’25 James A. Milling ’27
1960	Frank Gunby Sr. ’02 Frank Jervey ’14 Claude Lawson ’15 Wofford B. Camp ’16 S.C. McMeekin ’23 W. Wright Bryan ’26