Gantt Circle

Clemson students have the opportunity to learn to play the 47-bell Clemson Memorial Carillon. Cast in France, the bells range from 32 to 4,300 pounds and can be heard up to a quarter mile from campus.

The College of Education is a transformative leader in improving education – from birth through adulthood. With a particular focus on serving underperforming schools and underserved communities, the College is home to nationally recognized programs including Call Me MISTER, which prepares minority male students for careers in elementary education; ClemsonLIFE, which provides life skills and a college experience for students with intellectual disabilities; and Reading and Recovery, which offers specialized training to teachers of young struggling readers.

Gantt Circle is named in honor of Harvey and Lucinda Gantt. Harvey Gantt was the first African American student to enroll at Clemson, entering the University in January 1963. Lucinda entered in the fall semester of that same year, making her Clemson’s second African American student to enroll. Because Clemson's desegregation occurred without the violence and protests that had marred integration at many Southern institutions, one national publication dubbed it "Integration with dignity."

Harvey is a partner in the architectural and city planning firm Gantt/Huberman Architects and served two terms as mayor of Charlotte, N.C. He earned a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Clemson University, with honors, in 1965, and in 1970, he received a Master of City Planning degree from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He has been a visiting lecturer at a number of prestigious institutions, including his alma mater, Clemson University, where he also received an honorary doctorate.

The Gantts were married in the fall of 1964. Upon Harvey’s graduation in 1965, he and Lucinda moved to Charlotte, N.C. Lucinda was a business manager of East Towne Manor, an assisted-living facility in Charlotte, until her retirement. The Gantts are the proud parents of four children and leave a long-lasting legacy with Clemson University.