Winter 2009 — Vol. 62, No. 1

Private gifts help Lee Hall expand

Rudolph E. Lee Hall, home of design and building disciplines in Clemson’s College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities, is getting some much-needed elbow room thanks to private support.

Lee Hall was completed in 1958 and expanded in 1975. The academic disciplines taught there use a lot of space because most of the courses are conducted in studios. They include architecture, art, planning and landscape architecture, construction science and management and a master’s degree program in real estate development.

“Lack of adequate space has been cited as a critical need each time an accrediting team visits our campus,” says Chip Egan, interim dean of the college.

A $250,000 gift from two alumni brothers in Atlanta will help provide some badly needed space in Lee Hall. Dan Pattillo ’80, president of Rooker Real Estate, and his wife, Joan, as well as David Pattillo ’82, president of Podo Technology, and his wife, Paige, have pledged the gift to help build an extension to Lee Hall.

Charlotte architect Harvey Gantt ’65 made preliminary design studies, and the S.C. Budget & Control Board approved the next step: a design phase undertaken by Pazdan-Smith Group Architects of Greenville in association with Thomas Phifer and Partners of New York. The expansion and renovations to the existing part of Lee Hall are predicted to cost $31 million, primarily funded through private contributions.

“We’re happy that we can take a leadership role in tackling this need at Clemson,” Dan Pattillo says. “Lee Hall is not just a building that has served us well for 50 years. It’s home to some of Clemson’s most exciting academic work.”

Lee Hall’s original structure, which recently turned 50, is being added to the National Register of Historic Places. So is the civil engineering wing of the original structure, Lowry Hall.

The original structure consisted of three building elements and two courtyards. The modernist design has remained largely unchanged, particularly on the outside. Additions to the building came later and were placed to the south of Lee Hall. To support the Lee Hall renovation, contact LeRoy Adams at ladams@clemson.edu or (864) 656-0445.

Halls support engineering and science

Harry T. “IV” Hall IV ’92 and Susan Haseltine Hall ’94 are creating two endowed funds in bioengineering and microbiology.

One will be the Harry T. Hall IV ’92 and Susan A. Hall ’94 Unrestricted Endowment for Excellence in Bioengineering. This endowment will provide unrestricted support for the bioengineering department.  

IV Hall, a ceramic engineering graduate, works for Synthes USA, a bioengineering firm for prosthetic joints. He was instrumental in Clemson’s securing the Hansjorg Wyss Endowed Chair for Regenerative Medicine: Biomaterials and Implant Design. His wife, Susan, is a health sciences graduate.

The second will be the Robert Keller Hall ’80 Memorial Endowment Fund in honor and memory of IV’s uncle Robert Keller Hall, who died in August 2008. The endowment fund will provide support for the University’s microbiology department. Robert K. Hall was a Clemson microbiology graduate and a Vanderbilt professor.

Tiger Band gets new tower, scholarship fund

The generosity of a former Tiger Band member has provided the Clemson University Marching Band with a new 41-foot-tall rehearsal tower manufactured by Educational Steel Products. Standing twice the height of the previous tower, the new tower is made of galvanized steel and has electrical connections for loud speakers, video cameras and laptop computers.

The tower is a gift from Keith Snelgrove ’77, a former Tiger Band commander and trumpeter, and his wife, Risse. It’s dedicated to Larry ’74 and Cindy Sloan, and Tony ’76 and Debbie ’75 Stapleton for their tireless work and dedication to the Clemson University Tiger Band Association (CUTBA).

The Snelgroves’ commitment will also establish an endowed scholarship through CUTBA. The scholarship, which will benefit a Tiger Band trumpet player, will be named in honor of Johnny Helms, Keith’s high school marching band director.

CUTBA’s Tiger Band Commitment — from alumni, parents and other donors — has raised $2,307,000 in cash and deferred gifts!

“Today, getting the best and brightest student musicians is highly competitive,” says Mark Spede, Clemson’s director of bands. “The scholarship program makes recruiting these highly sought-after students a bit easier.”

Currently, 10 to 15 students receive aid from CUTBA each year. CUTBA is working with the Clemson University Foundation to increase the number of band students who will benefit. The foundation assists individuals interested in donating cash, property, stocks, bonds or deferred commitments. Also, various naming opportunities and other capital projects are available.

For more information on CUTBA and ways to support Tiger Band, contact the band office at (864) 656-3380 or the Clemson University Foundation at (864) 656-1655.

Wolseley honors alumnus, benefits students

A $150,000 gift from Wolseley NA to Clemson’s Michelin® Career Center will honor Clemson alumnus David Peebles ’49 with the naming of the David Peebles Room in the Hendrix Student Center.


Peebles, an economics graduate, was the second president of Ferguson Enterprises, an operating company in Wolseley’s North America Division. The David Peebles Room, on the second floor of the Hendrix Student Center, is a multipurpose room used for meetings, student activities, receptions and special events.

The gift will be used to maintain and enhance programs that the Michelin Career Center offers to students and corporate recruiters. Wolseley also will be recognized with the naming of the Wolseley Interview Room in the center.

“David has left an immeasurable legacy to Ferguson, and it is only fitting that we honor him with a legacy to Clemson students,” says John Stegeman, president and CEO of Ferguson. “By investing in the future of students, there is no doubt that Clemson will produce more great business minds like David Peebles.”



Under Peebles’ leadership, Ferguson grew to be an industry leader by idealizing the American dream of owning and operating a business. A scholarship endowment also bears his name: the Peebles Endowment Fund.