Civil engineering alum gives $5 million to help Clemson students address the future of America’s infrastructure

There’s a lot of talk on the news about the need for our nation to rebuild our infrastructure. A Clemson alum is putting his money behind Clemson to “pave the way,” so to speak. Gerald Glenn ’64 and his wife, Candice, have given a $5 million unrestricted gift to the Department of Civil Engineering as part of the Will to Lead capital campaign and to assure Clemson is at the forefront in solutions to our nation’s needs.

“It is critical that Clemson build on its strengths in engineering and science to meet the needs of our economy and our nation. Our expertise in sustainable and resilient infrastructure is key,” Glenn said. “Clemson is in a unique position to prepare our engineering students for a role of leading a cooperative environment with construction, manufacturing, materials, environment and management in the coming decades. We are proud to contribute to the continuing advancement of civil engineering at Clemson toward reaching its rightful leadership position.”

The $5 million gift will create scholarships and fellowships, support collaborative learning workspace and seminars, attract and retain top faculty and develop a program that will help engineering students gain a global perspective. In appreciation, the department from which Glenn graduated will now bear his name.

“We are proud to have the Glenn name associated with Clemson,” said President James F. Barker. “Not only professionally, but also personally, Gerald and Candi are exceptional role models for the students in the Glenn Department of Civil Engineering.”

Gerald served as chairman, president and CEO of the Chicago Bridge & Iron Company B.V., a multinational engineering procurement and construction company. He previously was a director of Fluor Corp. and a group president of its primary subsidiary, Fluor Daniel Inc. Candice, an attorney, is a graduate of the University of California-Irvine and Southwestern Law School.

Department chairman, Nadim Aziz, commented, “Our graduates will need the broad education that will make them the problem solvers of the future. This gift will help us create the environment necessary for students, faculty, government and industry partners to come together to discuss ideas for solutions to our failing infrastructure.”

The Glenns live in The Woodlands, Texas, and make philanthropy a priority, actively serving on numerous boards. They have two sons. Mike is a freshman engineering major at Clemson; Charlie is a sophomore at The John Cooper School. Gerald’s daughter, Gina, is director of operations for Homes & Land magazine.