Thousands Give to Help Clemson University Students, Honor Barkers

More than $2.6 million has been donated to the Barker Scholars Endowment, a new fund established two months ago to honor Clemson University President James F. Barker and his wife, Marcia. In April, he announced plans to step down as president and return to the faculty in the School of Architecture.

The endowment will support need-based scholarships for undergraduate students. A total of 1,803 alumni, faculty, staff, students, fans and friends donated $2,676,011 to the fund, making it the largest scholarship endowment started during the university’s The Will to Lead capital campaign.

“Generations of students will benefit from these scholarships,” said financial aid director Chuck Knepfle. “We have many Clemson students with unmet financial need. This endowment will help some complete their Clemson education and others who might not have been able to afford to attend otherwise. It is truly part of the Barkers’ legacy.”

Barker himself was the beneficiary of a need-based scholarship as a Clemson student. The first in his family to attend college, he graduated from Clemson in 1970. However, his college career was nearly derailed at the end of his junior year when his savings ran out. Administrators and faculty realized his dilemma and awarded him the Langdon Cheeves Scholarship, which helped pay for his senior year and enabled him to finish his degree in architecture.

Barker Scholarships will be awarded by the university’s financial aid office through its normal processes. Some could be awarded as early as the spring 2014 semester. The scholarships will go to students with the highest level of need or to those who face extraordinary circumstances causing a change in their financial situation. Because of the size of the endowment, approximately $107,040 (4 percent of the total) will be available for scholarships each year.

“I am always amazed at the generosity of the Clemson family. More than 80 founding partners contributed more than $25,000 each to this endowment, and I am so grateful for their support,” said Jan E. Childress of Easley, chairperson of the fundraising effort and member of The Will to Lead campaign executive committee. “These gifts represent the overwhelming gratitude of the Clemson family to Jim and Marcia Barker for their 14 years of service to the university.”

For the fundraising effort, Clemson introduced a new text-to-give program, which allows donors to text a $10 gift to the endowment. Clemson plans to continue the texting option for future fundraising. 

“The ability to text gifts for this campaign was a great new feature, that especially appealed to students and young alumni,” Childress said. “We wanted to give people as many options as possible to support the endowment.”

Donations for the Barker Scholars Endowment may still be made online, by check, by text message or by gifts of appreciated stock. Checks should be made payable to the Clemson Fund and mailed to Clemson Fund, P.O. Box 1889, Clemson, SC 29633. Indicate that the check is for the Barker Scholars. To give $10 via text, text the word BARKERS to 50555. Reply with “yes” to confirm the donation.

The Barker Scholars Endowment is part of The Will to Lead campaign, a $1 billion capital campaign to support Clemson students and faculty with scholarships, professorships, facilities, technology and enhanced opportunities for learning and research.