Dave and Lisa Steele
Dave Steele got a surprise when he walked across the stage to get his Clemson degree at graduation in May of 1976.
“I opened the envelope and found a note saying that I have three library books outstanding. I could have my diploma as soon as the library gets the books,” he said. Finding the note was a bit ironic, given that Steele was a student employee at the library for most of his undergraduate career.
After the ceremony, he “dragged” his parents to the library, confirmed that his books had been returned, and was given a note to turn in to receive his diploma. The minor inconvenience didn’t erase the fond memories he had of working for the library, though, and he credits the experience for getting him started on the path that would eventually lead him to an MBA and two successful careers.
A native of Lexington, Steele originally came to Clemson to study architecture. Because he was from the Midlands, he grew up assuming he would go to the University of South Carolina, but he was inspired by his Scout Master, who was an architect, to major in architecture. That left him with only one in-state option: Clemson.
“It’s the only school I applied to,” he said. “In this day and age, that sounds awfully foolish, doesn’t it?”
Steele didn’t last long in architecture, though.
“I got up there, and it turns out, I couldn’t draw, so I figured out real quickly I wasn’t going to be able to do that,” he said. So he started taking classes in subjects he enjoyed and ended up graduating with a double major in history and economics.
Along the way, he got a job in Cooper Library, working as a reference assistant on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and coming in during the day whenever he had a break to help shelve books. He worked for the late Marian Withington, whom he describes as “a wonderful lady. She was so nice to me and so understanding. She helped me a great deal.”
He was also able to use his knowledge of the library to make some extra money tutoring student athletes, including the legendary basketball player Tree Rollins.
After graduation, Steele went to Duke University to earn his MBA. He was attending Duke when he met his wife, Lisa, who was a student at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill.
Steele then spent the next 12 years or so in marketing and advertising, working for a number of companies, including Brown and Williamson Tobacco, Uncle Ben’s Rice, and the North Carolina National Bank. He was laid off after a company merger, which he refers to as the first of his two midlife crises, causing him to rethink his career. In an effort to have more control over his own destiny, he went to work as a financial adviser for Edward Jones Investments, where he stayed for the next 30 years. He opened a new office in Newberry and eventually ended up running an office in Madison, Indiana. Now retired, he and his wife live in Murrells Inlet.
These days, he plays golf three days a week, works out with his wife at a Boot Camp gym, and does a lot of reading. He does a lot of traveling, taking four or five international trips per year. After a health scare about four years ago — his second midlife crisis — he decided to travel more so he could see as much of the world as possible.
“Never put off to tomorrow what you want to do today,” he said.
Steele also believes in the importance of giving back. He has been a donor to Clemson Libraries for 42 consecutive years.
“None of this would have happened if I hadn’t gotten the shot in the arm that working at the library gave me, so whenever we started giving to Clemson, I always earmarked it for the library,” he said. “That job was a Godsend to me in many ways.”