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(Female narrator) Hap Carr.
Hap is the oldest of three children born to Chalmers Carr, Sr., a Navy doctor, and his
wife Willie, a nurse. He and his siblings, William and Dallas, grew up calling many cities
“home”, as their father’s military assignments took them across the country and back again.
Hap acquired the nickname “Happy” as a baby, thanks to a play that his parents saw,
and a family Christmas card that featured Hap, just three months old, in a holiday stocking.
His schoolmates quickly shortened his nickname to “Hap”, and he grew into an active athlete
and a natural leader. But just before his junior year in high school, his dad informed
him that the family was moving once again. Hap would be finishing high school at a prep
school in the mountains of North Carolina.
(Hap Carr) The next thing I knew, I was, in September
1954, I walked onto a very small, all boys’ school on a mountaintop near Arden, NC. Needless
to say, Hap Carr was not a very happy camper. But as it turns out, in later life, the decision
that my mom and dad made for me, putting me in at Christ School, was probably one of the
defining moments in my life.
(Narrator) In fact, Hap continued to play sports, learn
the discipline of study, and was recognized and encouraged by headmaster David Harris
for his natural leadership abilities. As high school graduation approached, Hap was set
to attend NC State, with a plan to study agriculture, when he got a call from his uncle, Colonel
Marvin “Slick” Ellison. Colonel Ellison was a 1924 Clemson grad, and still on active
duty in the US Army at that time.
(Hap Carr) He said, “Hap, I want you to really consider
Clemson.” I said, “Uncle Slick, here I am, I have grown up in the military, lived
on military bases all my life. Besides that, I am stuck up here in this school, all boys’
school on this mountaintop, and there is no way I am going to consider going to military
school!”
He said, “Hold on, Hap. Clemson has dropped the military, and they are going co-ed.”
So he said, “I really want you to go down there.”
(Narrator) After a weekend’s visit to campus, Hap left
with his Clemson application completed, and an invitation to come in as a walk-on football
player. He received his acceptance just two weeks later. Maintaining his expectation to
go nowhere near the military, Hap had one more surprise from his advisor when he registered
for classes.
(Hap Carr) He said, “You are not done.” I said, “What
do you mean, I am not done?” He said, “You don’t have ROTC.” I said, “Well, Clemson
dropped the military.” He said, “No, no. You have to go to ROTC for two years.” Well,
I turned around, and he said, “You got your choice: Army or Air Force.” I was smart
enough to know that I didn’t want to have anything to do with the Army! And so I got
in the Air Force blue line, and the rest is history.
(Narrator) Hap remembers the next four years being filled
with wonderful friendships, lots of fun, some serious study, ROTC, and working for Bill
Wilhelm in the athletic department.
(Hap Carr) One of the most significant moments, I think
at Clemson, that stands out, is that I became Bill Wilhelm’s second baseball manager in
1959, and of course, the highlight of that was to go to the College World Series.
(Narrator) Hap graduated in 1960 with a BS in industrial
management, and a commission to the US Air Force. He later earned an MBA from Central
Michigan University, in 1976. But before heading off to pilot training in early 1961, he spent
a few months driving ambulances in Charlotte, where his dad was a doctor. He also got to
know a particular ER nurse, Jeannette DeWitt. After pilot training, he returned to Charlotte
for their wedding, in April of 1962.
Raising their two children, Martha (a 1985 Clemson grad), and Chalmers the third (a 1990
Clemson grade) in the nomadic life of a military family, Hap and Jeannette are delighted now
to be enjoying their children, son in law and daughter in law, and grandchildren, right
from their home in Clemson.
As a highly decorated officer in the US Air Force for 30 years, Hap rose steadily up the
ranks, retiring in the rank of brigadier general in 1991. He completed assignments worldwide
as an operational pilot, and commander of various operational support and training organizations.
He served across the continental United States as well as in Alaska, Australia, and Thailand,
and at the Pentagon.
After retiring, Hap joined Bendix Field Engineering Corporation as a manager of program development.
Later, as project manager, he led teams focusing on the first intelligent highway systems in
San Antonio and Charlotte. Wherever he’s lived, Hap always has stepped forward to lead
and serve in civic, church, and community efforts. He’s also been a frequent speaker
to community, service, military, education, and youth organizations.
An active member of the Clemson Alumni Association for 51 years, Hap was involved in numerous
Clemson Clubs, and served as president of the Charlotte Clemson Club. He has held many
leadership positions with the Alumni Association, serving as President in 2006.
But the Clemson Corps remains closest to his heart today. As a long-standing member of
its Board of Directors, Hap has served as both vice chairman and chairman. During his
tenure as chairman, the Clemson Corps was instrumental in establishing the annual military
appreciation day football game, as well as a $ 2 million endowment scholarship fund for
cadets. Hap also co-chaired the $1.2 million capital campaign for the Scroll of Honor memorial.
(Hap Carr) I have to come back to the proudest moment
that all of us in the Clemson Corps have to say, is the Scroll of Honor memorial. This
memorial was finally realized to recognize what Memorial Stadium was named for: the 478
individuals that made the ultimate sacrifice. 478 Clemson alumni that were called upon to
step forward, and answered their call.
(Narrator) He and Jeannette are members of the Benjamin
Ryan Tillman Society, the Clemson Legacy Society, President’s Club, the West Zone Leadership
team, and IPTAY. Robert Greenleaf said, “Good leaders must first become good servants.”
We think Hap Carr would agree. A mural he passed by weekly while at the Pentagon remains
lodged in his heart and in his mind. It depicts an Air Force officer with his family, kneeling
before an altar with an inscription from Isaiah chapter 6, verse 8: “Whom shall I send?
And who will go for us? Then said I, Here I am, send me.”
No matter where Hap Carr hears the call to serve and to lead, he steps forward.
(Hap Carr) I don’t care whether it’s your family,
your church, your community, your state, your university. Those people that step forward
and say, “Here am I, send me.” You know Joe Sherman asked the question in his poem,
“Unto These Hills”, what is it about you Clemson people? He gives you one answer, but
I can give you another answer. Clemson people answer that question: “Here am I, send me.”
Clemson people stand up and have the will to lead.