Gerald M. Glenn ’64

The Clemson Alumni Association has recognized Gerald M. Glenn of The Woodlands, Texas as one of five recipients of the 2015 Distinguished Service Award, the association’s highest honor.

Glenn graduated from Clemson in 1964 with a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering. He went on to become the , chairman, president and CEO of Chicago Bridge and Iron, one of the world’s largest construction companies.

“He was a true legend in the construction industry,” said Clemson president emeritus James F. Barker in a letter nominating Glenn for the award. “He led this Fortune 500 Company with distinction for many years and moved the company to Houston during that time. This decision proved to be brilliant.”

Glenn’s support of his alma mater has benefitted thousands of past, present and future students. In 2011 he and his wife, Candi, donated $5 million to name the Glenn Department of Civil Engineering. He is a major contributor to IPTAY, serves as a member of the Clemson University Foundation Board of Directors, and is a founding partner of the Barker Scholars Endowment; to name a few of his additional commitments to the school.

Glenn and his wife, Candi, share a commitment to community that reaches well beyond Clemson, contributing not just their financial resources, but their time and talent to multiple causes. They have been heavily involved in educational and charitable organizations, with Gerald and Candi always taking leadership roles in the institutions they support.

Glenn’s nomination letters are full off testimonies that he creates and seizes the opportunity to promote Clemson’s academics and athletics to everyone he encounters. He has recruited numerous students in his adopted state of Texas to enroll at Clemson – including both of his sons, Mike and Charlie, and several of their classmates.

“Few Clemson alumni are more dedicated to their alma mater than Gerald Glenn,” said Barker. “He will not rest until the entire state of Texas can sing the Clemson alma mater.”