Nicholls State University to Create Wm. Clifford Smith School of Engineering

A $1 million gift from the family of Clifford Smith will create the Wm. Clifford Smith School of Engineering at Nicholls State University, set to begin operations in August 2024.

“We are so grateful for this generous gift from Mrs. Jo-Anne and the Smith family, and we are even more honored to name our school of engineering for Mr. Clifford,” said Nicholls President Jay Clune. “His name is synonymous with high-quality engineering and land surveying in the Bayou Region, as he has contributed so much to not only Nicholls but also to our entire region. This donation will ensure that high school seniors from the Bayou Region who aspire to be engineers will no longer need to leave our region for their studies or forgo their dreams. A partnership between the University of New Orleans and Nicholls will ensure that aspiring engineers will be able to earn a UNO engineering degree on the Nicholls campus, intern with a regional engineering firm and make a career and life here.”

Clifford Smith was a professional engineer and land surveyor for over 60 years and the long-time owner of the multidisciplinary consulting firm known today as T. Baker Smith.  Clifford’s father founded the company in 1913, and three generations of Smiths have grown the business from a one-man shop in Houma to a firm with 300 associates providing innovative engineering, environmental and surveying services from locations across the Gulf Coast.

With endless knowledge of Louisiana’s history and natural resources, Clifford’s professional career focused on his coastal community. Under Clifford’s direction, many of the Terrebonne Parish infrastructure systems were designed, a parish-wide drainage plan was implemented and numerous marsh creation and barrier island restoration projects were completed, making him and the firm pioneers in coastal flood protection issues.

After retiring as president of the firm in 2001, Clifford remained chairman of the board (emeritus) for the remainder of his life. He was ahead of his time in documenting coastal erosion and was called to testify before Congress about it in 2004.  Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush nominated Clifford as a Presidential Appointee to the Mississippi River Commission, where he helped shape national flood control measures, navigation and environmental policy and projects.

Clifford Smith’s commitment to public service is reflected in his memberships in multiple civic organizations, including the Louisiana Board of Regents, Houma-Terrebonne Chamber of Commerce, Terrebonne Historical and Cultural Society and St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church Building Committee, as well as multiple business organizations, including serving on the Board of Directors of Entergy Corporation, as chairman of American Bank & Trust Co., and as a member Community Homestead Bank.

He was recognized with many awards over his lifetime, with some of the most memorable being the America’s Wetland Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award, Louisiana Legends Hall of Fame appointment by Louisiana Public Broadcasting, Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana Stewardship Award and the de Fleury medal presented by the United States Army Engineer Regiment.

The Smith family has a long legacy of giving back to the community, including Nicholls, where their support has provided internship and employment opportunities, as well as service on advisory boards, that support and advance academic and professional experiences of university students.

“We are deeply honored to establish the Wm. Clifford Smith School of Engineering at Nicholls State University in memory of our father, Clifford Smith. This gift is a tribute to his unwavering support and dedication to Nicholls and our community. Clifford firmly believed that every contribution to Nicholls has a ripple effect, benefiting the entire region. During his tenure on the Louisiana Board of Regents, Clifford championed the creation of the geomatics program, ensuring it found its home at Nicholls. His legacy as a civil engineer and land surveyor, working alongside his father at T. Baker Smith, has left an indelible mark on our profession and community. The firm has proudly hired hundreds of Nicholls graduates over the years, a testament to the strong bond between our family and this esteemed institution. The Smith family is grateful for the opportunity to honor Clifford’s legacy in this meaningful way and looks forward to the continued growth and success of Nicholls State University and its students,” said Kenneth Smith, CEO of T. Baker Smith.

The Wm. Clifford Smith School of Engineering will serve as the host for academic activities related to engineering at Nicholls, including programs of study, research and development, workforce development and service to the Louisiana Gulf Coast. It will consolidate current and future engineering assets at Nicholls and focus on continuous development of locally trained engineers for industries across the Nicholls service region and beyond. Department Head of Applied Sciences and Associate Professor of Geomatics Dr. Esra Tekdal Yilmaz is set to be the director of the Wm. Clifford Smith School of Engineering.

Programs of study will include geomatics, energy engineering technology, pre-engineering and mechanical engineering, which is being offered in partnership with the University of New Orleans, per an agreement to offer UNO’s Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering on Nicholls’ campus. This collaboration is in addition to the agreement signed between the universities in 2019 stating that Nicholls pre-engineering students can transfer seamlessly to UNO to complete their engineering studies. To learn more about engineering at Nicholls, click here.