Spring 2009 — Vol. 62, No. 2

Supporting students

Clemson friend Albert D. McAlister has created a charitable remainder trust that will benefit Clemson students. He irrevocably assigned the Clemson Foundation as the charitable beneficiary. At the conclusion of the trust, Clemson will receive the proceeds from his $1 million gift and use them for scholarships.

McAlister, an attorney and partner in McAlister and McAlister Law Firm in Laurens, is honoring his late father, Paul W. McAlister. Paul was a member of Clemson’s Class of 1941, a life trustee and generous University supporter. A trust in his name already supports Clemson’s National Scholars program.

“Education is the greatest gift we can give our children. It’s the only thing we can take with us,” says Albert McAlister. “This is a gift not only to Clemson, but to future generations of students.” 



He also has aided athletics at Clemson with a $250,000 gift to the WestZone project.



“Clemson needs support more than ever right now,” says McAlister. “I wanted to do my part to ensure that the University is able to continue offering a top-quality education well into the future.”

Supporting faculty and staff

If you watch PBS or grow your own garden, chances are you know Rowland Alston, the plaid-shirted host of the Emmy Award-winning “Making It Grow!” The genial and knowledgeable ETV personality welcomes gardening experts, invites call-ins and highlights interesting places and products from around the state. In other words, he promotes South Carolina.

But you may not know just how much he promotes the University.

A Clemson alumnus (’70, M ’72), longtime Extension agent and assistant to the PSA vice president, Alston has established an endowment to recognize communication excellence among other University personnel.

The endowment — in memory of his father, Rowland P. Alston Sr. ’42 — will fund awards for outstanding faculty and staff members involved in agriculture and natural resource areas that have provided Clemson with positive visibility throughout South Carolina, the United States and the world.

Audit of donor records

The University’s internal auditing department will mail confirmation letters to a sample of Clemson University Foundation donors. This is an annual audit procedure that helps validate the integrity of donor records. If you receive a confirmation letter, please complete and promptly return. For more information, contact Jeff Rosenberger, internal auditing, at rjeffre@clemson.edu or (864) 656-4896.