| Joe
Young Bio |
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Joseph Laurie Young, professor emeritus of architecture, died Friday, March 14, at Clemson Downs Area Retirement Center.
Born in Huntsville, Texas, Young was a son of the late Ben Wiley and Margaret Cater Young. He is survived by a brother, Ben Wiley Young and his wife, Jean, of Dallas, Texas; and a sister, Margaret Young Wallmo of Sevierville, Texas.
Young received his Bachelor's of Architecture from the University of Texas and his masters degree from Georgia Tech.
A Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, Young held a Fulbright Lectureship in Turkey, the presidency of Clemson Little Theater and membership in the Tiger Brotherhood, Tau Sigma Delta and Fort Hill Presbyterian Church. He was faculty adviser for 30 years to the Numeral Society fraternity, which later became Sigma Alpha Epsilon.
“Joe Young was a friend and mentor to me for almost 40 years. His talent as an architect and dedication as a teacher were an inspiration to us all,” said President Jim Barker. “The Clemson Family has lost a very important member.”
In addition to his 40-year career at Clemson, Young held the distinction of being the last permanent tenant of the Clemson House, built during the post-World War II boom that more than doubled the number of students at Clemson and created a pressing need for faculty housing. He took up residence there in 1950, the year Clemson House opened, and retained the apartment until 2000. During the 50th anniversary celebration of this former oasis of Southern charm and hospitality, the top floor was named in his honor and a plaque placed at the entrance to the Joseph Laurie Young Penthouse. The Madren Center's “Joe's Place” also honors him as a Clemson legend.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Fort Hill Presbyterian Church, 399 College Ave., Clemson, SC 29631, or one of three Clemson University endowments which exist in Young's name:
Joseph Laurie Young Program Enrichment Endowment
Joseph L. Young Architectural Studies Endowment (supplements the program enrichment endowment)
Joe Young Clemson House Endowment (supports maintenance of the Penthouse Suite)
Gifts for the endowment should be made payable to the Clemson University Foundation and sent to P.O. Box 1889, Clemson, SC 29633-1889.
A tribute to Young, containing several of his drawing of campus and area landmarks, can be viewed
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| In
The News |
| Top
of Clemson House dedicated to long-time resident |
Joe
Young sat next to the clock, pillows underneath him making
the easy chair seat a bit more comfortable for the 76-year-old.
Over his shoulder, the springtime humidity hazed over
the penthouse’s view of Tillman Hall and Memorial
Stadium. One floor down from the Clemson House penthouse
is Joe Young’s last apartment, number 715. He lived
in a few different units in the 50 years he spent on the
seventh floor, but he was always the life of the party.
Thursday afternoon, his
former students, colleagues and friends gathered in the
penthouse that will now bear his name and feature his
drawings on its walls. The set of rooms is used for special
events and to house honored guests.
Before it became a residence
hall, the Clemson House was a swanky hotel, and housed
some faculty, including many bachelors who mostly lived
on the seventh floor, Mr. Young’s former roommate
John Edwards said.
In 1950, he and Mr. Young
moved in and paid a total of $180 a month for an apartment
in Clemson House, and 50 years later, after Mr. Edwards
had moved away and hundreds of students had moved in and
out of the dorm, Mr. Young moved out.
As he referred to the Clemson
Downs assisted living center, where he now lives, he cursed
it. A nice place, he said, but he misses the Clemson House.
In the five decades he lived
and taught at Clemson, he inspired hundred of students
at the school of architecture, including Clemson President
Jim Barker.
Mr. Barker was among the
guests Thursday who leaned over to greet, then kneeled
to talk with their former teacher as if he was a king
and Clemson House was his castle.
A kind of king, and a mentor,
Mr. Young was also everybody’s friend.
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