UTSOA Announces Legacy Chair & Scholarship in Honor of Visionary Architect and Alumnus Dick Clark

The University of Texas at Austin School of Architecture announces two major gifts from the estate of Dick Clark III, FAIA, esteemed alumnus, and visionary Austin architect. Generous funding will create an endowed faculty chair, provide scholarships and travel opportunities for students, and advance key initiatives for the school in the areas of design education and experiential learning.

Clark died at the age of 72 on August 8, 2017, after a battle with leukemia. He and his firm, Dick Clark + Associates, are highly regarded in Austin and across the country for innovative architecture and design projects that shaped the Austin vernacular. Clark is well known for his work on South Congress, leading projects from the 04 Lofts behind Guero’s to the South Congress Hotel that meld old and new Austin. He also designed popular downtown restaurants and bars such as Lonesome Dove, Hangar Lounge, and Star Bar.

A generous patron with deep ties to the School of Architecture, Clark graduated with a Bachelor of Architecture degree in 1969. He went on to become a valued mentor to students and fellow alumni, including architect Michael Hsu [BArch ‘93], and was an active member of the school’s Goldsmith Society and Advisory Council. In 2008, he established the Dick Clark Travel Fund for students, and, in 2016, he served on the Dean Search Committee which resulted in the appointment of Dean Michelle Addington.

“Dick had always been a committed volunteer and generous benefactor to the School of Architecture. His presence, his influence, and now his legacy touch so many aspects of our program, students, and community,” remarked Dean Michelle Addington. “We are deeply honored to announce two new permanent endowments that Dick envisioned for the school. The first is a legacy scholarship, the Dick Clark III Endowed Scholarship in Architecture, which will provide generous funding that will significantly enhance our ability to recruit, retain, and support future leaders in the field of Architecture. Furthermore, great students need great faculty, and Dick wanted to build upon the school’s long history in the excellence of teaching to ensure that we could continue to hire exceptionally talented designers who shape the education of future generations. In this light, he left a second, very generous gift and communicated his wishes to create the Dick Clark III Chair in Architecture.” 

This contribution marks the eighth endowed chair for the School of Architecture in its 107-year history. “As the namesake of these two endowments, Dick Clark joins an esteemed group of celebrated architects who have played a seminal role in establishing UT’s history and building its community—Cass Gilbert, Paul Cret, O’Neil Ford, Harwell Hamilton Harris, and the Texas Rangers, Hal Box, and, most recently, Sinclair Black,” stated Dean Addington.

Known for his curiosity and keen observation of human behavior, as well as an insatiable passion for his work, Clark leaves an enduring legacy at The University of Texas at Austin.

Lifelong friend Sherry Matthews, CEO of Sherry Matthews Advocacy Marketing, remarked about Clark, “Dick was very loyal to the UT Austin School of Architecture, and he wanted more than anything to see a chair in his name. He knew a chair would be a lasting legacy and help in recruiting and honoring top faculty and student talent.”

CEO of Dick Clark + Associates, Mark Vornberg, added, “Dick defined himself first and foremost as an architect, and that is how he wanted others to think of him. He was teaching right out of graduate school, so mentoring was part of his generous personality from the beginning. He fostered the growth of many successful architectural firms in Austin and was proud to see his protégés expand the quality of architecture across the region. I think he found great joy in the tree of architects that grew from his mentorship. The UT Austin Chair adds to his legacy as a talented and caring mentor.” 

Dean Addington first announced the commitment of these transformative gifts last night at a tribute event for Clark organized by Matthews. The event took place at Austin’s Paramount Theatre, featuring a film screening and surprise performance by Texas legend Willie Nelson.