James Barker

Kingsport, Tennessee

University President 

An alumnus of the Kingsport Boys & Girls Club, Clemson University’s president graduated from Clemson in 1970 with a degree in architecture. The successful architect returned to his alma mater in 1986 to serve first as dean of the College of Architecture, then of the new College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities. In 1999, he became the university’s 14th president. In this capacity, Barker has worked with Boys & Girls Clubs of America to establish the Strom Thurmond Boys & Girls Club Leadership Institute at Clemson, linking two institutions that have made a positive impact on his life.