Clemson University renames architecture school for alumnus and supporter

Clemson University has renamed its architecture school to honor an alumnus and longtime financial supporter of the program.

The Richard A. McMahan School of Architecture honors the legacy of Dick McMahan, who graduated from Clemson’s architecture program in 1954 and went on to the U.S. Army before founding McMahan Construction Co., a business that grew into a multimillion-dollar enterprise, according to a university news release.

The late McMahan and his wife, Mary “Dinky” McMahan, previously established the Richard A. McMahan Presidential Scholarship in 1993. Their investment in the university extended further with a foundational gift to the Clemson National Scholars program in 2000, and their estate plans expanded their support of South Carolina’s only School of Architecture, according to the university.

The McMahans moved to Deland, Fla., where she became an active businesswoman and philanthropist. She owned Main Street Travel and served on the boards of Stetson School of Music and the Florida International Festival. The McMahans supported both universities and Richard McMahan was presented with an honorary doctorate at Clemson in 2005.

The Richard A. McMahan endowment will facilitate multiple critical initiatives in the School of Architecture, the news release said. This endowment will provide funding for operations, student and faculty activities, and allow Clemson to attract national and international experts as design critics and speakers.  The funding will elevate the student experience, provide opportunities for faculty to disseminate and exhibit their research and further Clemson’s ability to engage with communities in South Carolina and beyond.

“You may have heard the question before of ‘What is in a name? What does a name mean?’ And I can tell you that without a doubt the Richard A. McMahan School of Architecture is a name of honor,” Clemson President James P. Clements said in the release. “It is a name that upholds our university values. And it is a name that honors the Will of Thomas Green Clemson and our mission of education, research and service.”

The School of Architecture includes more than 70 faculty and staff who support more than 500 students in the pursuit of their studies in architecture, landscape architecture, historic preservation, resilient urban design and city and regional planning.

Within the College of Architecture, Arts and Construction, the Nieri Department of Construction and Real Estate Development was named in 2019 to honor a gift from alumni Michael and Robin Nieri.

“We are proud to be named the Richard A. McMahan School of Architecture,” Clemson University’s School of Architecture Director Jim Stevens said in the release. “This gift is emblematic of the support and generosity of the McMahan family and the architecture community at Clemson. This gift will help ensure that we continue the school’s tradition of excellence for the next century of our history.”

“With two of our three academic units now bearing the names of distinguished alumni, we are not just building a college, we are defining a legacy,” Dean Ece Erdogmus said in the release. “These names reflect the values, ambition and excellence that fuel our shared future. For our students, these named units are daily reminders that their Clemson experience can lead to meaningful, world-changing impact.”