Samuel Broadus Earle was born the son of a Baptist minister on March 11, 1878, in Gowansville. Following in the footsteps of his four older brothers, Earle took advantage of the discount for ministers' sons at Furman, earning both bachelor's and master's degrees by 1899. Not unlike many students today, Samuel was unsure of what to do after graduation, but he soon decided to pursue a graduate degree in mechanical engineering at Cornell.
With his third degree in hand by 1902, Earle turned down offers from GE and Westinghouse in order to move back South where he accepted a position at Clemson College for a salary of $1,500.
Not only did he eventually succeed Riggs as director of the engineering department, but he also oversaw many projects to improve campus life, including the installation of a swimming pool at the YMCA, the conversion of the campus electrical system from direct to alternating current and the renovation of various buildings on campus in collaboration with R.E. Lee of the architecture department.
Earle's decision to come to Clemson also proved fortuitous for his love life when in 1908 he married Susan Sloan, who later bore him a son, S.B. Jr.
Samuel Earle served with distinction in many arenas, both on and off campus, and his awards were plentiful. Yet there was no recognition more "profound and enduring" than the dedication in 1959 of the new chemical engineering building. In a fitting tribute to S.B. Earle's 48 years of service to Clemson, Earle Hall became the first building on campus to be named for a living person.
At the ceremony, President R.C. Edwards described Earle as a "builder of minds and men." In 1978, at the age of 100, Samuel Broadus Earle was laid to rest in Woodland Cemetery, but the impact he has had on the Clemson community lives on.
With his third degree in hand by 1902, Earle turned down offers from GE and Westinghouse in order to move back South where he accepted a position at Clemson College for a salary of $1,500.
Not only did he eventually succeed Riggs as director of the engineering department, but he also oversaw many projects to improve campus life, including the installation of a swimming pool at the YMCA, the conversion of the campus electrical system from direct to alternating current and the renovation of various buildings on campus in collaboration with R.E. Lee of the architecture department.
Earle's decision to come to Clemson also proved fortuitous for his love life when in 1908 he married Susan Sloan, who later bore him a son, S.B. Jr.
Samuel Earle served with distinction in many arenas, both on and off campus, and his awards were plentiful. Yet there was no recognition more "profound and enduring" than the dedication in 1959 of the new chemical engineering building. In a fitting tribute to S.B. Earle's 48 years of service to Clemson, Earle Hall became the first building on campus to be named for a living person.
At the ceremony, President R.C. Edwards described Earle as a "builder of minds and men." In 1978, at the age of 100, Samuel Broadus Earle was laid to rest in Woodland Cemetery, but the impact he has had on the Clemson community lives on.
Samuel Broadus Earle was born the son of a Baptist minister on March 11, 1878, in Gowansville. Following in the footsteps of his four older brothers, Earle took advantage of the discount for ministers' sons at Furman, earning both bachelor's and master's degrees by 1899. Not unlike many students today, Samuel was unsure of what to do after graduation, but he soon decided to pursue a graduate degree in mechanical engineering at Cornell.
With his third degree in hand by 1902, Earle turned down offers from GE and Westinghouse in order to move back South where he accepted a position at Clemson College for a salary of $1,500.
Not only did he eventually succeed Riggs as director of the engineering department, but he also oversaw many projects to improve campus life, including the installation of a swimming pool at the YMCA, the conversion of the campus electrical system from direct to alternating current and the renovation of various buildings on campus in collaboration with R.E. Lee of the architecture department.
Earle's decision to come to Clemson also proved fortuitous for his love life when in 1908 he married Susan Sloan, who later bore him a son, S.B. Jr.
Samuel Earle served with distinction in many arenas, both on and off campus, and his awards were plentiful. Yet there was no recognition more "profound and enduring" than the dedication in 1959 of the new chemical engineering building. In a fitting tribute to S.B. Earle's 48 years of service to Clemson, Earle Hall became the first building on campus to be named for a living person.
At the ceremony, President R.C. Edwards described Earle as a "builder of minds and men." In 1978, at the age of 100, Samuel Broadus Earle was laid to rest in Woodland Cemetery, but the impact he has had on the Clemson community lives on.
With his third degree in hand by 1902, Earle turned down offers from GE and Westinghouse in order to move back South where he accepted a position at Clemson College for a salary of $1,500.
Not only did he eventually succeed Riggs as director of the engineering department, but he also oversaw many projects to improve campus life, including the installation of a swimming pool at the YMCA, the conversion of the campus electrical system from direct to alternating current and the renovation of various buildings on campus in collaboration with R.E. Lee of the architecture department.
Earle's decision to come to Clemson also proved fortuitous for his love life when in 1908 he married Susan Sloan, who later bore him a son, S.B. Jr.
Samuel Earle served with distinction in many arenas, both on and off campus, and his awards were plentiful. Yet there was no recognition more "profound and enduring" than the dedication in 1959 of the new chemical engineering building. In a fitting tribute to S.B. Earle's 48 years of service to Clemson, Earle Hall became the first building on campus to be named for a living person.
At the ceremony, President R.C. Edwards described Earle as a "builder of minds and men." In 1978, at the age of 100, Samuel Broadus Earle was laid to rest in Woodland Cemetery, but the impact he has had on the Clemson community lives on.
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