Fire captain, summer enrichment camp win Abernathy/Cox One Clemson Awards

Published: May 8, 2012

By Evan Lybrand

CLEMSON — The Joint City/University Advisory Board recognized the Club EDGE Summer Enrichment Camp and the Call Me Mister Program and Clemson resident Don Collins, a captain with the Clemson University Fire Department, with the Abernathy/Cox One Clemson Awards.

This award, named after late Clemson Mayor Larry Abernathy and the late Clemson President Emeritus Walter T. Cox, is given annually to an organization and/or an individual who has made major contributions not only at Clemson University, but also to the community as a whole. 

The Club EDGE Summer Enrichment Camp was recognized in the organization category. The program provides academic support and mentoring for many young people in the Clemson and Central area. The camp, now in its 10^th year, is a joint effort between the Littlejohn Community Center and Clemson’s Call Me Mister program. The program is the recipient of a 21^st Century Grant, which allowed it to increase its services and expand its technology. Students from the Call Me Mister program are mentors and counselors at the camp. 

Collins received the individual award for his contributions to the School of Architecture and the Fire Department. Collins has been a resident of Clemson since 1972 and has served a 34-year tenure at Clemson University. He was a professor in the School of Architecture for 20 years, rising to assistant department head and acting department head. In 1992, Collins developed, organized and became chairman of a new planning and landscape architecture department.

Collins completed the S.C. Fire Academy firefighting curriculum and joined the Clemson University Fire Department, rising to the rank of captain. Collins worked on developing fire apparatus designs and also collaborated with three other fire chiefs on five fire trucks that are still in use today. Collins has spent thousands of hours working on the fire trucks and other projects to improve the community, all as an unpaid volunteer.

Collins served for eight years on the Design Control Commission, working as a consultant and a designer on many projects, including streetscape renovations in downtown Clemson, the design of Ashley Deering Park and an exercise trail at Hartwell Lake.

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