Have you ever wondered why the Clemson Tigers first ran down “the hill?” Or how much blue cheese the University produces a year? Or how much acreage the Clemson Forest covers? Wonder no more!

Here are some interesting facts about Clemson University that you may not have known.

• HEALTHCARE DESIGN named David Allison one of “Twenty Who Are Making a Difference” in the health care design field.
 He’s director of Clemson’s architecture and health graduate program and director of the project to establish the Center of Economic Excellence in Health Facilities Design and Testing.

• Clemson’s applied economics Ph.D. program was ranked ninth nationally in the 2007 Top Research Universities Faculty Scholarly Productivity Index by the Chronicle of Higher Education.  

• Kiplinger’s financial magazine ranks Clemson No. 33 among the top 100 “Best Values in Public Colleges” for 2008.
• BusinessWeek ranks Clemson’s undergraduate business program as 22nd among public schools (2008 ranking of “The Best Undergraduate Business Schools”).
• The Corporation for National and Community Service has named Clemson to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll With Distinction for exemplary service efforts and service to disadvantaged youth.


• Lamont Flowers, Distinguished Professor of Educational Leadership and executive director of the Houston Center, is the 2008 recipient of the Scholars of Color Early Career Contribution Award by the American Educational Research Association.
• The National Academy of Sciences invited President Jim Barker to address its 2008 international symposium in Washington, D.C., on collaboration and the CU-ICAR story.
• Clemson Video Productions’ “Expeditions with Patrick McMillan” (aired on ETV) won the International Academy of Visual Arts Gold Davey Award and the Diamond Statues of Distinction Media Achievement Award.
• Former Clemson All-Americans Jonathan Byrd and D.J. Trahan competed in the 2008 Masters April 10-13 in Augusta, GA. It was the first time Clemson has had two former players participate in the same Masters. The two players were teammates on Clemson’s 2000 team.
• Alumnus Jimmie Dyess is the only person in history to receive both the Carnegie Hero Award and the Medal of Honor. He won the first as a 19-year-old Clemson student, showing bravery in peacetime by rescuing two drowning women off Sullivan’s Island. He won the second fighting in the South Pacific 16 years later.
• The Charles H. Houston Center for the Study of the Black Experience in Education at Clemson University was established in 1988 to disseminate information and address issues pertaining to the educational experiences and outcomes of African Americans at all levels of the educational system.
• According to results of the 2007 National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), students report receiving a challenging academic experience at Clemson University that is supported by a collaborative learning environment.
• Clemson University received a record number of applications for fall 2007.
• The Bridge program is a collaborative initiative with Tri-County Technical College that provides students a blend of academic and residential life during the freshman year at Tri-County Tech, then a seamless transition to Clemson for the sophomore year.
• The Clemson University Genomics Institute has developed an international reputation as a leading research and training center for discovering and analyzing genes. In fact, it has one of the largest collections of genetic materials in the world.
• PEER, a Clemson program designed to assist minority College of Engineering and Science students, celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2007.
• According to results of the 2007 National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), 78 percent of seniors report they had participated in volunteer service activities while at Clemson.
• Every spring, the Women’s Alumni Council hosts a “Bring Your Daughter to Clemson” weekend for girls ages 6 to 17 to learn more about the college experience and explore possible career paths.
• The Clemson Renaissance Center, home to the University’s program for entrepreneurial, experience-based graduate education, is housed in the historic Liberty Building in Greenville, S.C.
• Education professor Linda B. Gambrell is president of the International Reading Association, the top professional organization in the world devoted to promoting literacy.
• The Rutland Institute for Ethics provides the campus and the community with a forum to explore ethical issues, especially those affecting the Clemson family.
• SAT scores and graduation rates of Clemson students rank in the top 25 among national public universities.
• Clemson’s Academic Success Center earned international acclaim as the Outstanding Supplemental Instruction Program in 2006.
• Clemson attracted more than $141 million in externally funded research and sponsored program awards in 2006-07, the highest in the University’s history.
• Doctoral applications increased 64 percent in 2006, and Ph.D. enrollment is the highest ever with 1,008 students.
• The Institute for International Sport named Clemson an All-American Sportsmanship School for 2007-2008.
• The Princeton Review ranked Clemson’s Michelin Career Center fourth in the nation among college and university career/job placement services.