Darla Moore funds veterinary scholarships at Clemson’s new vet college

The state’s best-known philanthropist demonstrated once again that she’s as comfortable in orange as she is in garnet — this time with a pledge to fund the education of the first generation of South Carolina-bred veterinarians.

The Darla Moore Foundation created the Darla Moore Scholars of Veterinary Medicine program at Clemson University, a scholarship initiative designed to expand access to veterinary education while strengthening rural communities in eight counties within South Carolina’s Pee Dee region, where the scholarship’s namesake makes her home.

Beginning with the inaugural class of students enrolling this fall, the program will provide full financial support to six students preparing to enroll in Clemson’s Harvey S. Peeler Jr. College of Veterinary Medicine.

Covering tuition, fees and living expenses for up to four years, the scholarship enables recipients to complete their veterinary education without the financial barriers often associated with professional degrees. The dollar value of the commitment was not revealed, but the university places undergraduate tuition at $13,562 for the current academic year, and around $37,000 for the year when adding costs such as housing, food, materials and other expenses.

“Growing up in rural South Carolina, I saw firsthand how important animal health is to the vitality of our communities,” Moore said in a Clemson University news release. “Veterinarians support not only the well-being of animals, but also the farmers, families and local economies that depend on them. Through this program, we are investing in students who understand the unique needs of rural communities and who will be equipped with the knowledge and compassion to serve them. Talent exists everywhere, but opportunity doesn’t always follow.”

Scholars are selected from eight counties where access to veterinary services is limited, and agricultural economies rely heavily on animal health, according to the news release. By investing in students from these communities, the university says the program directly advances its land-grant mission to serve the state through education, research and outreach.

“Veterinary medicine plays a critical role in agriculture, food systems, the environment and the well-being of families across South Carolina,” Steven Marks, founding dean of the Harvey S. Peeler Jr. College of Veterinary Medicine, said in the release. “This program ensures that talented students from rural communities have the opportunity to pursue their calling and return home equipped to make a lasting difference.”

The initiative builds on a longstanding partnership between Clemson University and The Darla Moore Foundation focused on expanding opportunity and leadership throughout South Carolina. Previous philanthropic investments have supported teacher preparation and educational leadership.

Darla Moore’s father, Eugene T. Moore, was a 1949 graduate of Clemson and a teacher, coach and principal in Florence County. In his honor, Moore supported the creation of the Eugene T. Moore School of Education, home to classroom and clinical training for pre-service teachers, professional mentoring of early-career teachers and cutting-edge continuing education for in-service teachers.

Moore has given more than $75 million in publicly announced gifts to the University of South Carolina, which named its business school the Darla Moore School of Business. She and her late husband, Richard Rainwater, pledged $10 million to Clemson for the education school in 2002, saying at the time that she was an “equal opportunity philanthropist.”