The Class of 1956 and Dr. Theodore G. Westmoreland

including Dr. Theodore G. Westmoreland

The story of the Clemson Class of 1956 Academic Success Center Building begins at their 45th anniversary reunion in 2001.  At this reunion, the Class of 1956 made a commitment to raise funds for a 50th anniversary project. This commitment led to the creation of the '56 Golden Tiger committee to choose a project.  Ultimately, that project proved to be a new building - a place to house academic success programs, where students could visit to get the support and resources they needed to succeed. The project was a big challenge for the small Class of 1956, but the Golden Tiger committee had faith in the Class's support of the University and its students. On June 20, 2008, the Class gathered to show its support and dedication at the building groundbreaking ceremony. The building finally opened in Spring 2012, and, on April 12, 2012, was dedicated to the Class of 1956 in honor of the Class' fundraising efforts.  

The late Theodore "Ted" G. Westmoreland, DVM, shared his fellow classmates' belief that giving back to the community is an integral part of success.  Dr. Westmoreland put his philosophy of giving back to the community into action by founding the Dr. Theodore G. Westmoreland Academic Success Program as part of the Class of 1956's 50th anniversary project.

Dr. Westmoreland grew up on a farm in Clover, South Carolina and raised cattle, which he later sold to pay for his Clemson tuition. He studied pre-veterinary medicine at Clemson University for two years prior to transferring to the University of Georgia to complete his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree. He served in the United States Air Force and later founded a veterinary practice in Shelby, North Carolina. He and his wife, Margaret Corbett Westmoreland, have five children and many grandchildren.

Dr. Westmoreland also established the T.G. Westmoreland Scholarship Endowment for animal and veterinary science majors and was a major supporter of the IPTAY program.  Dr. Westmoreland died on November 5, 2017, but his legacy continues to live on through his impact on his family, the community and Clemson University.