Clemson alumnus endows program to promote academic success

Published: April 25, 2012

Dr. Theodore “Ted” G. Westmoreland image by: Clemson University

CLEMSON — A Clemson University alumnus and veterinarian who established one of the most successful animal clinics in North Carolina has made a gift to ensure that students at his alma mater will be supported in their own paths to success.
 
Dr. Theodore “Ted” G. Westmoreland of Shelby, N.C., has given $1.5 million to endow the academic success program in the university’s new Class of 1956 Academic Success Center.
 
“This gift will link Ted Westmoreland’s name with the university’s commitment to student success, a fitting tribute to a man who has experienced success in every part of his life,” said Clemson President James F. Barker. “This program will serve as a living legacy of Ted Westmoreland and the character he embodies.”

Established in 2001, Clemson’s Academic Success Center has been recognized nationally and internationally by organizations related to tutoring, supplemental instruction and collegiate learning. For its 50th anniversary, the Class of 1956 initiated fundraising for a new building, which opened earlier this semester and was dedicated April 12. Westmoreland is a member of the Class of 1956 and, in addition to funding the endowment, made the largest single gift to the building fund.

“I am pleased to have my name linked with the academic success program,” said Westmoreland. “I believe in the value of a Clemson education, and this program continues to assist students in getting the most out of that education.”

The Dr. Ted G. Westmoreland Academic Success Program will be housed in The Class of 1956 Academic Success Center, along with disability services, the writing center and additional tutoring, supplemental instruction and ePortfolio classroom space.

“I have watched many students experience academic success as a direct result of our programs and dedicated staff,” said Dr. Elaine Richardson, center director. “The significance of the Westmoreland gift is that we now will have not only a great new facility, but an endowment to ensure that what happens in the building will serve our students for years and years to come.

“This ensures the future of this program that is changing lives and helping students live up to their full potential,” she said.

Following two years of pre-veterinary study at Clemson, Westmoreland was accepted at the University of Georgia and received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 1958. Commissioned as a Captain in the U.S. Air Force, he served as base veterinarian and assistant preventive medicine officer at Charleston Air Force Base.

Westmoreland has spent five decades as the owner of Boulevard Animal Hospital, P.A., in Shelby. At age 78, he continues working tirelessly to care for generations of animals and their owners. His River Hill Angus Farm produced renowned breeding stock for purebred herds across the United States and Argentina. He twice served as president of the North Carolina Angus Association. Upon exiting the cattle business in 1991, he generously donated the bulk of his valuable herd to Clemson.

Westmoreland’s energy and resources have positively impacted athletics and academics at Clemson. He is a recipient of the Distinguished Service Award, the university’s highest alumni honor. A life member of Clemson’s IPTAY program, he has been a supporter of the WestZone and other strategic initiatives for student athletes. In 1996, he established the T.G. Westmoreland Scholarship Endowment to assist animal and veterinary science majors. Westmoreland has served as a director for the Clemson University Robert J. Rutland Institute for Ethics.

Westmoreland is married to Margaret Corbett Westmoreland, and they have five children and nine grandchildren.

This gift is part of Clemson’s The Will to Lead capital campaign to raise $600 million to support Clemson students and faculty with scholarships, professorships, facilities, technology and enhanced opportunities for learning and research.

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