Alumnus Makes Commitment for Civil and Environmental Engineering

For Bob Clark Jr., CE 1961, the decision to make a significant estate commitment to Georgia Tech came down to one thing: gratitude. “The good things that have happened to me have been a result of being able to stick it out at Georgia Tech,” he said. His estate gift, directed to unrestricted support for the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE), reflects a conviction that the discipline and resilience Georgia Tech instilled in him deserve to be passed on to the next generation of engineers. 

Family shaped Clark’s path to Tech. His father, a Georgia native from Mitchell County, urged him to study at Tech, and the family had enjoyed visiting campus for Yellow Jacket football games during his childhood. 

But Clark was also encouraged to attend college in Florida, where he was born and raised. He found Georgia Tech challenging and joked that “everything they taught was hazardous to my health.” Clark intended to transfer to the University of Florida after his first year to join his friends. When he discovered his low grades would not transfer, he stayed at Tech and enjoyed being a part of the Sigma Chi fraternity. 

What Georgia Tech ultimately gave Clark was something no transcript could measure. “At Georgia Tech, they teach you that if you don’t understand it, go over it again. If you have to read it 20 times to understand, that’s your job,” said Clark. That discipline — learning to allocate time and persevere — became the foundation of his remarkable career. 

As president of Tampa Steel Erecting Company, Clark has led fabrication projects that include EPCOT’s Spaceship Earth, SeaWorld’s Shamu Stadium, the Florida Aquarium, and the award-winning Margaret McDermott Bridge in Dallas, Texas. He has been recognized as Tampa Bay’s Outstanding Leader of the Year and was inducted into the Tampa Bay Business Hall of Fame in 2024, among numerous other honors. 

Describing Clark’s profound influence on his industry and his community, Don Webster, Karen and John Huff School Chair of Tech’s CEE, said, “Bob Clark is a true titan of the civil engineering profession. Through his steel fabricating company, he has helped shape some of the nation’s most recognizable and enduring structures. Equally notable is Bob’s civic leadership in Tampa, where he has long brought community leaders together for weekly Friday lunches for 25 years at the iconic Columbia Restaurant — a tradition so meaningful that the gathering table there is named in his honor.” 

Webster added, “This generous estate gift will inspire future generations of Georgia Tech engineers to dream boldly and help build the next wave of American infrastructure.” 

Clark’s estate commitment will provide CEE with the flexibility to deploy resources where they are needed most — for the students, faculty, and research that will shape the future of the profession. 

To learn more about making a planned gift to Georgia Tech, contact Donna Ashley, director of Gift Planning, at donna.ashley@dev.gatech.edu. To inquire about making a gift or commitment to the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, contact Tricia White, director of Development for CEE, at patricia.white@ce.gatech.edu.