James Rhett Hendricks, Jr. ’68, M ’71

James Rhett Hendricks, Jr. ’68, M ’71

Visionary leader. Incredible Clemson ambassador.

James Rhett (Jim) Hendricks, Jr. of Pawley’s Island is known for his leadership as an energy executive, his respect for the environment and his love for Clemson.

A Distinguished Military Graduate, Jim earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Clemson in 1968. He worked briefly for Exxon before beginning active duty as a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army, during which he served in the Ordnance Corps and spent a year in Vietnam. He received the National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal and the Bronze Star for Service.

After the Army, he returned to Clemson to earn a master’s degree in water resources engineering in 1971. Joining Duke Energy, he played a key role in its expansion into wide variety of electric generation methods and helped the company become an industry leader in environmental compliance, stewardship and sustainability. In 1996, Duke presented him the Robinson Award for outstanding service and working to ensure the long-term preservation of the Jocassee Gorges area.

He received the South Carolina Wildlife Federation’s 2006 Lifetime Achievement Award for his conservation efforts at Duke. In 2007, following retirement as Duke Energy’s vice president of environmental, health and safety policies, he established Hendricks Consulting LLC.

Jim has held leadership roles with The Conference Board’s Chief EHS Officers’ Council and the Edison Electric Institute. He served on the Nature Conservancy’s International Leadership Council, the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Air Act Advisory Committee and the Global Environmental Management Initiative’s board, including as chair of its Senior Advisory Committee.

Causes benefitting from his volunteerism and generosity include the Low Country Food Bank, Bread for the World, Wounded Warriors, Habitat for Humanity, St. Jude Children’s Research Hosiptal, the World Wildlife Fund and many others. He was a longtime active member of Pritchard Church in Charlotte.

While at Duke, Jim nurtured strong relationships between the company and Clemson. He involved Clemson students and faculty members in various environmental and engineering projects and led the establishment of a Distinguished Professorship in Management Information Systems named for the late Duke executive William S. Lee.

Jim served on the boards of the Clemson University Foundation and the Wallace F. Pate Foundation for Environmental Research and Education. He has supported Clemson student-athletes as a member of IPTAY for more than 50 years. He and his wife, Paula, established the Jim and Paula Hendricks Family Scholarship Fund to assist students majoring in education and parks, recreation and tourism management.

In addition to Jim, the Hendricks family includes five more Clemson graduates: his father, three daughters and a grandson. Two other grandsons are current Clemson students.