In memory of George Bennett, a Clemson gentleman and ultimate cheerleader
By Karen Brewer, Publisher & Editor, The Pickens County Chronicle
George Bennett (at right) is pictured with some of the well wishers at Col. Ben Skardon's 100th birthday celebration at Clemson University in 2017. (Photo by Karen Brewer)
George Bennett, a man whose name is synonymous with Clemson University, passed away on Saturday, December 13, 2025.
“He was an amazing person, an amazing Dad, and he loved everybody,” said his son, Jeff, when speaking with The Pickens County Chronicle. “He was an amazing man. He loved Clemson with everything he had. He pushed it, every chance he got, to anybody that he ever met. He never met a stranger. When he’d meet somebody, he’d give them a $2 bill, and they’d be friends for life.
“He was the ultimate cheerleader, whether it was for Clemson, or when he was at Vanderbilt, or Furman when he was at Furman, or whether he was pushing The Pound Cake Man. He was my biggest cheerleader. He boosted up everybody – the ultimate support for kids, grandkids. He was there seeing the concerts, seeing the games, dance recitals, all of that. He was there. He was very present.
“He had been in Hospice for five months. When we first put him in Hospice, we thought it was just going to be a couple of days, and then he rallied and lasted five months, so we were fortunate to get that extra time with him.”
George’s wife, Nancy, was with him every day, their son said. “Even at the Cottingham House, she drove there every day and stayed all day with him. She’s a strong woman.”
“My Dad was a wonderful mentor to me,” daughter, Bonnie Bennett Dixon, told The Pickens County Chronicle. “He taught me how to work hard, help others, and have a lot of fun. He also was a great leader for our family and a wonderful husband to my Mom. His faith was really strong, and he taught us the importance of knowing Jesus and telling others about Jesus, as well.
“It’s also because of Jesus we have hope,” she added, “and that’s why we know he’s in heaven and that we get to be with him one day, and what better way to get to celebrate than at Christmas time that he got to go to heaven. So, even though it’s sad, because you want to be with family at Christmas, and he’s not going to be with us this year for the first time, it’s also joyous because we know where he is, and we’ll get to join him some day.”
Former Clemson Tigers Head Football Coach Tommy Bowden also spoke with The Pickens County Chronicle about George Bennett. “When Linda and I came up for the interview, for the first time, George and Nancy Bennett showed us around. They have remained good friends of ours ever since we set foot on campus. You hardly ever saw one without the other. If you were to ‘Google’ Clemson University, I think a picture of those two would come up. I think he embodies everything that Clemson stands for. He was a great ambassador for the university. If you could pick one person that stands for Clemson – not just athletics, not just football, but I’m talking about everything that Clemson stands for, it would be George Bennett. He was a good friend, and his wife has been a good friend, also. They’re just two great people. I know he’s going to be missed, because there are not very many people like him.”
Charles Dalton, past President of IPTAY, also spoke with The Pickens County Chronicle about George Bennett. “He’s always been Mr. Clemson and Mr. IPTAY, and, going back for the many, many years that I knew him, he just made the IPTAY organization at Clemson so very special. And I remember in my 30’s, which would have been 50 plus years ago, when I joined IPTAY, I thought it was a great organization, and then the years that he headed it up, he took it to an even higher level. It was always, to me, kind of a privilege to get to be a member of IPTAY. I looked at it as something that was important and something that he made very special. The IPTAY organization has always been unique in that it has been a little bit different than other athletic fundraising organizations at other schools. He just had a way of making the IPTAY membership feel a little special, and he had so much enthusiasm, he and Nancy and their family. And following Clemson sports, being the leader of that organization, he did such a wonderful job and was very creative. He came up with the cannon and the $2 bill and encouraged other people’s participation and, again, just made everybody feel a part of a special organization. So, it will be hard to ever have anybody else at Clemson like George. He was one of a kind and very unique and just a tremendous person, great guy, good father, good husband, just a really, really good guy and truly a Clemson gentleman. That’s a term that used to get used a lot when Clemson was an all-male school — something unique about Clemson gentlemen. He would certainly be one of those.”
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Official statement from Clemson Athletics:
Former Clemson IPTAY Executive Director George Bennett passes
Former Clemson Executive Director of IPTAY George Bennett passed away on Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025. He was 92. Regarded by many as Clemson’s greatest ambassador, Bennett was a legendary figure at Clemson, serving the school in various capacities from the time he was a freshman in 1951 until his passing.
The native of Columbia, S.C. made an impact on Clemson and its athletics endeavors as a student. He was the freshman class president in 1951 and held other class offices as a student. He was also a varsity cheerleader for three years, including 1953-54 when Clemson joined the ACC.
“No one epitomized ‘A Clemson Man’ more than George Bennett,” said Athletic Director Graham Neff. “Personally, George has been a good friend, mentor, and supporter since I arrived at Clemson 12 years ago. His fingerprints have been all over Clemson and Clemson Athletics for decades, and he will be forever remembered.”
As a student, he persuaded his father to buy a small cannon that would be fired after the Tigers scored a touchdown. His father had seen it done at an Army football game. After his father told George of the Army tradition, he said to him, “That is a great idea, why don’t you buy us a cannon?” That tradition celebrated its 70th anniversary this past season, and Bennett was on the field when the cannon was fired as the team ran down the hill.
After graduating in 1955, Bennett served two years in the U.S. Army at Fort Knox, Ky. In 1957, he started a nine-year career with the ESSO corporation. He returned to Clemson in 1967 as the first alumni field representative in the history of the Clemson Alumni Association.
Four years later, Bennett moved to the athletic department as an assistant athletic director. In that capacity, he became involved in fund-raising. In 1977, he became executive director of IPTAY. Over the next two years, IPTAY exceeded the $2.3 million mark in fundraising for student-athlete scholarships for the first time, and IPTAY members grew from 9,800 to over 15,000.
During his first year as executive secretary of IPTAY, he developed the idea to have Clemson fans use $2 bills when they traveled to the 1977 Georgia Tech game in Atlanta. Georgia Tech wanted to end the series with Clemson to play a lesser opponent and using $2 bills was a way to demonstrate the economic impact Atlanta would miss if Georgia Tech did not play Clemson.
In 1979, Bennett was named associate athletic director for financial development at Vanderbilt University. Just five years later, he was named the National Fundraiser of the Year.
In 1986, Bennett returned to South Carolina as the athletic director at Furman. Two years later, Furman won the Division I-AA football national championship, still the only football national championship in school history.
Bennett returned to Nashville, Tenn. in 1989 as the Vice President for Development at Baptist Hospital. He remained in that position until 1993 when he returned to Clemson as Executive Director of IPTAY. He remained in that position until he retired in June of 2004.
Bennett won many awards over his career. He was inducted into the Clemson Athletic Hall of Fame in 1986 and received the Clemson Alumni Association Distinguished Service Award in 1999. In 2001, Bennett received the Order of the Palmetto, South Carolina’s highest civilian honor. In 2024, he was recognized with the prestigious Bobby Richardson Sportsmanship Award by the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame.
He and his wife Nancy were married for 65 years. He also leaves son Jeff and daughter Bonnie and seven grandchildren.
Official statement from the Clemson Alumni Association:
In Remembrance of George Bennett, Class of 1955
Every alumnus plays a role in shaping Clemson history. George Bennett, Class of 1955, led the way in defining the Clemson experience. From his student days as a cheerleader to his decades as an IPTAY executive, George created, inspired, and championed many of the traditions and symbols that will forever exemplify the Clemson spirit and unite the Clemson family.
As the Alumni Association’s first field representative, George set the standard for alumni outreach and engagement programs. For many alumni, he became the Clemson connection to their community. His tenure with Athletics and IPTAY further solidified his place in the hearts and minds of all who support the Tigers. His impact on Clemson students was equally profound, particularly through his involvement with Tiger Brotherhood and as an advisor to Sigma Nu fraternity.
George demonstrated his love for Clemson every day. We will miss him dearly. We take comfort, though, in knowing that each time the touchdown cannon’s roar echoes through Death Valley and each time the Alumni Association presents a $2 bill stamped with the Tiger Paw to a new Clemson graduate, George’s legacy will grow stronger – from where the Blue Ridge yawns its greatness to everywhere Clemson Tigers live, work, cheer, and play.
Clemson University Alumni Association photo
Clemson University Alumni Association photo
Official statement from Clemson University Special Collections and Archives
George Bennett's photo in the 1955 Clemson yearbook, Taps (Clemson University Special Collections and Archives)
Obituary for George Bennett
George U. Bennett
June 17, 1933 – December 13, 2025
Clemson, SC
George Ulmer Bennett of Clemson, South Carolina, passed away on December 13, 2025. Born in Columbia, SC, he was the beloved son of Henry Glyn Bennett and George Mae Ulmer Bennett.
George graduated from Dreher High School in 1951, where he served as Student Body President and proudly represented his school as a delegate to Palmetto Boys State. He went on to graduate from Clemson College in 1955. During his years at Clemson, George was deeply involved in campus life as a member of Tiger Brotherhood, Student Government, Pershing Rifles, and the Central Dance Association. He was also a member of the all-male cheerleading squad and served as head cheerleader his senior year. While at Clemson, George and his father donated a small cannon that is fired after each touchdown—a tradition that remains a cherished part of Clemson football today.
Following college, George served two years in the United States Army, stationed at Fort Knox. After his military service, he returned to Columbia and began his professional career with Esso (later Exxon), working as a sales representative opening new service stations. His success led to several promotions, each bringing new opportunities—and new moves—for his growing family.
While living in Hickory, North Carolina, George met the love of his life, Nancy Leigh Moser. The two were married on July 30, 1960, beginning a partnership that would span more than six decades. Their journey took them to Charlotte, Durham, Raleigh, and eventually Tampa, Florida, as George advanced within the company. Along the way, they welcomed two children, Jeffrey and Bonnie.
When Exxon proposed relocations to Libya and later California, George chose instead to return to Clemson after receiving a letter from the university seeking an Alumni Field Representative. He accepted the position and moved his family back to Clemson, a place that would remain home. After four years as Alumni Field Representative, George joined the Athletic Department, eventually serving as Executive Director of IPTAY, Clemson’s athletic fundraising organization supporting student-athlete scholarships. He later led the athletic scholarship program at Vanderbilt University and served as Athletic Director at Furman University before returning to Clemson and IPTAY, where he remained until his retirement in 2004.
Retirement, however, did not slow George down. He “flunked retirement” and continued his service to Clemson as an ambassador for the Athletic Department, leading campus and athletic facility tours for visiting groups and sharing his deep love for the university.
Beyond his professional accomplishments, George was devoted to his faith and his community. He was an active member of First Baptist Church of Clemson and believed deeply in service wherever he lived. George never met a stranger and delighted in building relationships, especially when they involved Clemson athletics. He loved attending sporting events with family and friends and took pride in Clemson traditions, including originating the practice of carrying $2 bills to away football games, and launching the Welcome Back Festival and the Tiger Cub Club.
George is survived by his wife, Nancy, and children, Jeffrey Glyn Bennett and Bonnie Bennett Dixon (David); grandchildren Megan Bennett Walters (Doug), Bennett Asbury Dixon (Hannah), Brooks Raffield Dixon (Alyson), Augusta Dixon Pomazal (Ivey), Austin Clayton Bennett (fiancée, Sierra Ellifritt), Alexander Glyn Bennett, and George Cameron Dixon (fiancée, Anna Larson Brady); and great-grandchildren Mosey Marie Dixon, Harvey Elizabeth Dixon, Georgia Mae Dixon, Bennett Asbury “Tuck” Dixon, Jr., and Amos Raffield Dixon.
Although George will be deeply missed by so many, it is with great joy that his family knows he is in heaven—wearing orange and teaching everyone to say, “Go Tigers.”
A memorial service will be held at First Baptist Church of Clemson, 397 College Avenue, Clemson, SC, on Friday, December 19 at 2:00 p.m. Visitation will follow the service in the Family Life Center.
The family would encourage anyone to wear their Clemson colors in honor of George’s love for Clemson.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials be made to IPTAY, P.O. Box 1529, Clemson, SC 29633 or to First Baptist Church of Clemson, 397 College Avenue, Clemson, SC 29631.