Mr. Roy Pearce (1919-2004), President of Clemson University’s class of 1941, maintained that his professional success was directly related to his effectiveness as a communicator. Most noteworthy was his involvement in a family business that became one of the largest businesses in South Carolina. However, his legacy lives on through the creation of the Class of 1941 Studio for Student Communication.
After graduating from Clemson in 1941, Pearce would go on to stay very active in the Clemson community. He used his communication skills to serve as President of the Clemson Alumni Association and Clemson Foundation Board. He would receive from Clemson the Distinguished Service Award, an honorary doctorate and the Clemson President’s Award. In 1991, he received Clemson’s highest honor, the Clemson Medallion.
Outside of Clemson, Pearce served as vice-chairman of the South Carolina State Development Board, President of the Rotary Club and Director of the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce. None of these positions could have been achieved had Mr. Pearce not mastered the skill of communication.
Mr. Pearce held a firm belief that all students should have an opportunity to become effective communicators. Pearce envisioned a center whose mission was to prepare students for the communication challenges they would face as professionals in their chosen disciplines. In 1989, in recognition Clemson’s contribution to his development as a communicator, Roy and Marnie Pearce established the endowment for the Roy and Marnie Pearce Center for Professional Communication at Clemson University.
Our Goals
Enhancing Communication and Writing Across the Curriculum at Clemson through student-driven initiatives such as the Writing Fellows and Client Based Programs
Giving students experience writing, editing, designing, and producing print and digital publications
Sponsoring funded projects that emphasize writing to learn as well as oral, visual, and digital communication
Providing a space and technology in the Class of 1941 Studio for Student Communication that allows for collaborative work
Supporting faculty across campus that are teaching or conducting research in Communication and Writing in the Disciplines
Offering workshops designed to improve the communication abilities and skills of students and faculty members teaching of writing and communication
Securing resources through foundation grants, private gifts, and corporate partnerships
Encouraging the use of multimodal technologies to enhance teaching and learning
Our Mission
The Pearce Center promotes effective communication as an integral part of the learning process throughout Clemson University undergraduate and graduate education. The Center offers undergraduate client-based internships, professional development for graduate teaching assistants, and faculty writing workshops. The Center has plans for a revitalized professional editing service and a new visual and information design internship to help Clemson students with visual projects Our work is thoroughly and consistently interdisciplinary, collaborative, and project-based.