David Dukes named Clemson trustee

Published: May 9, 2012

David E. Dukes image by: Nelson Mullins

CLEMSON — Clemson University alumnus David E. Dukes, 53, of Columbia, chairman of the executive committee and former managing partner of South Carolina’s largest law firm, has been selected to serve as a trustee at his alma mater. His appointment is effective immediately.

Dukes chairs the executive committee of Nelson Mullins Riley and Scarborough LLP, one of the nation’s largest law firms with more than 450 lawyers and 1,000 employees. The firm has 13 offices from Florida to Massachusetts.

“I am honored to have this opportunity to serve my alma mater. My education and experience at Clemson provided a solid foundation for me to pursue opportunities in the law and business world. I look forward to being able to give back to Clemson,” said Dukes.

Dukes will succeed Thomas B. McTeer, 75, of Columbia, who retired after more than 35 years of service as a trustee — making him one of the longest-serving trustees in Clemson history.

“It would be difficult to overstate what Tom McTeer’s service has meant to Clemson,” said former U.S. Ambassador David Wilkins, chairman of the board. “His leadership, vision and keen business insights have made Clemson a better university. His more than three decades of service and commitment have provided stability and continuity. We look forward to his continued service as a trustee emeritus.”

McTeer, who graduated from Clemson in 1960 with a bachelor’s degree in industrial management, served one term as chairman of the board and served on the presidential selection committee that led to the appointment of current President James F. Barker. As a student, he was vice president of the senior class, named to Tiger Brotherhood and Blue Key honor society, and was a member of the track and football teams.

“I feel extremely fortunate to have been a part of Clemson University for over half my lifetime and am truly blessed to have had the opportunity to watch the significant progress that Clemson has made over that time. Clemson University is an important part of my life and will continue to be for years to come,” said McTeer.

Like McTeer, Dukes has been an active and engaged Clemson student and alumnus, having previously served on the university’s Board of Visitors and the President’s Advisory Board. He is a longtime supporter of IPTAY and the Clemson Fund.

Other leadership and service positions include membership on the boards of First Citizens Bank, the South Carolina Governor’s School for Science and Math Foundation, the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts Foundation, the Business Partnership Foundation of the University of South Carolina’s Moore School of Business and the National Foundation for Judicial Excellence.

Dukes also has served as past president of Washington D.C.-based Lawyers for Civil Justice; past president of DRI, a 22,000-member national professional organization of lawyers who defend companies and individuals in civil litigation; and on the board of the Georgetown University Law Center Advisory Committee of the Law Firm Pro Bono Project in Washington, D.C.

He earned his bachelor’s degree in financial management from Clemson in 1981, where he served as president of the Interfraternity Council; on the Student Alumni Council; and was named to Mortar Board, Blue Key honor society and Tiger Brotherhood. He earned his law degree from the University of South Carolina Law School in 1984.

His wife, Karen Royster Dukes, earned a Bachelor of Arts in architecture from Clemson in 1982, and his oldest son, David Jr., is currently enrolled in Clemson’s Calhoun Honors College, as a chemical engineering major. Two younger children, Bailey, a junior, and Will, an eighth-grader, attend the Hammond School in Columbia.

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