After a long illness, Harlan E. McClure, FAIA, 85, longtime dean of architecture at Clemson University, died November 1.

McClure joined the Clemson faculty in 1955 as professor and head of the School of Architecture. Three years later, he became the first dean of the College of Architecture. After his retirement in 1984, he continued to live in Pendleton, S.C., and remained active in the college as a visiting professor until 1992. He was an adjunct professor in 1996-97.

A much-loved educator, McClure was awarded the ACSA 1986 Distinguished Professor Award and the 1994 AIA/ACSA Topaz Medallion for Excellence in Architectural Education. He had particular influence on the architectural education of African-American architecture students. He personally shepherded Clemson's first African-American student, Harvey Gantt, FAIA (later mayor of Charlotte and U.S. Senate candidate) through the school's architecture program.

During his tenure as dean, McClure turned a small school of architectural engineering into one of the most widely recognized architecture programs in the U.S. He maintained a practice throughout his career in education. McClure also established the Charles E. Daniel Center for Building Research and Urban Studies in Genoa and was instrumental in the creation of the statewide Clemson Architectural Foundation.

Funeral services were held on November 5 at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Clemson. AIA 2003 President-Elect Thompson Penney, FAIA (who earned both his undergraduate and graduate architecture degrees at Clemson and is an active participant in many of the university's programs) attended the ceremony.

The family requests that memorials be made to the Clemson Advancement Foundation for Design + Build (Box 1889, Clemson, SC 29633) or to the Holy Trinity Episcopal Building Fund (193 Old Greenville Hwy, Clemson, SC 29631-1335).

Copyright 2001 The American Institute of Architects. All rights reserved.