CUGA Handbook

History of the Visitors Center

Today, as in the past, public and private support is essential to institutions like Clemson University. Both the public and the private sector, however, must first fully understand the purpose of higher education—and believe in its importance and value to society’s well being to give whole-hearted and meaningful support to it. Institutions like Clemson, a leader in South Carolina higher education, have a responsibility to educate the public about the purpose of higher education. Clemson University's teaching, research, and public service activities communicate this message to people daily.

Still, there exist other untapped opportunities to reach large numbers of people with a message about higher education in general and the Clemson story in particular. This group includes the thousands of visitors who come to the University throughout the year for various reasons. By their presence on the campus, they have already expressed an interest in some facet of Clemson University. This group, in effect, represents a “captive audience”, and offers the institution a relationship that should be cultivated and developed. The vehicle to reach this audience and make them friends of Clemson is a full service University Visitor’s Center. The need for such a facility was recognized for many years, but funds for the project were unavailable because of tight state budgets. In 1982, Clemson Student Government adopted “Project Visitor’s Center” as a goal and took steps to raise funds for design and furnishings. Grants were made by Blue Key National Honor Society “from Tigerama ticket sales” and the Alumni National Council (ANC). The Visitor’s Center was officially opened on June 4, 1984, in Tillman Hall.

The Class of 1944 brought about the current Visitor’s Center facility. The class chose as its 50th reunion project the challenge of building a new Visitor’s Center for the University. The class raised funds to design, construct, and furnish the new building to be located adjacent to the Alumni Center. This center was first occupied in the fall of 1997 and conveys the Clemson Story to a diverse visitor population through permanent and changing displays, brochures, and customer service.