Sonoco Institute of Packaging Design and Graphics Approved by Clemson Trustees
Monday, October 08, 2007Clemson University plans to break ground soon for a new 28,000-square-foot building that will house the packaging science and graphic communications departments and be named for one of the school's major donors: Harris A. Smith, former chairman, president and chief executive officer of Smith Container Corp. The announcement came at Friday's meeting of the board of trustees. Smith recently sold the 97-year-old, family-owned rigid packaging company, headquartered in Atlanta, to a global packaging company. He decided to invest in higher education to support the packaging industry his family helped define. The new building is one of seven facility projects the trustees discussed and approved. Clemson Vice President for Research and Economic Development Chris Przirembel reported that external funding of university research for 2006-07 totaled $141.4 million, the highest in the school’s history. 'This total reflects outstanding achievement by faculty and staff across the University,' he said. 'This is not just a number; it's a commitment to excellence and to the involvement of our outstanding researchers in solving the world's problems.' For images of the planned Sonoco Institute, please visit: www.clemson.edu/newsroom/image_galleries/2007/october/October_releases.php5 For information about Clemson's graduate programs in graphic communications and packaging science, please visit: www.grad.clemson.edu/programs/GraphComm and www.grad.clemson.edu/programs/PkgSci respectively.
Smith has made gifts and pledges totaling $3.5 million to Clemson and Sonoco has contributed $2.5 million for the academic building, which will house the Sonoco Institute of Packaging Design and Graphics and related programs. The three-level building will include studios, labs and offices that will serve up to 500 students every year.
