E. Grantland Burns ’88
The Clemson Alumni Association presented Grant Burns of Greer with the 2016 Distinguished Service Award, the association’s highest honor.
“I am extremely proud to honor Grant Burns with the Distinguished Service Award,” said Clemson President James P. Clements. “He has done so much to support Clemson, and I am truly grateful for his contributions. His personal accomplishments serve as a wonderful model for our current and future students.”
Burns graduated from Clemson in 1988 with a degree in political s
cience. As a student, he held many leadership positions, including student body president in 1987.
Burns has forged an exemplary career as a lawyer, litigating trials and arbitrations in 20 states. He was recognized for excellence by The Best Lawyers In America and Super Lawyers, and was president of Washington and Lee University Student Bar Association. He was named one of the “Best and Brightest — 35 and Under” by Greenville Magazine in 2000.
He is a member of the South Carolina Bar and served as a member of the House of Delegates from 2007-2012. He was president of the Greenville Young Lawyers Association and of the Greenville Bar Association. Currently he is the vice president and general council for AFL, a fiberoptics company with manufacturing facilities throughout the world.
His dedication to Clemson has never wavered. He was president of the Alumni Association from 2007-08 and was on the Clemson University Foundation board of directors, the Board of Visitors and the Greenville Clemson Luncheon Club.
He has consistently supported IPTAY and the athletics program by serving on the Tiger Golf Gathering Foundation board of directors, as an alumni delegate to the IPTAY board of directors, and as an IPTAY representative since 2003. He has been a continuous IPTAY donor since graduation and is a season ticket holder for both football and basketball.
Burns lives in Greer with his wife, Julie. They have two children: Camden, who attends Furman University, and Emory who is on track to graduate from Clemson in 2018.