Doug Kingsmore, a former Clemson baseball star and the namesake of the Tigers’ stadium, passed away on December 6, 2023, at the age of 91. He was one of the most prolific hitters in Clemson history and a generous supporter of the baseball program.
A Record-Breaking Career
Kingsmore played for the Tigers for three seasons (1952-54) as an outfielder. He was an All-ACC and All-District III selection in 1954, when he became the first Clemson player in history to hit 10 home runs in a season. He did that in just 24 games, while also leading the ACC in runs scored (25) and the Tigers in batting average (.371), slugging percentage (.742) and RBIs (27).
Doug Kingsmore finished his career with a .333 batting average, 17 home runs and 64 RBIs in 72 games. He ranks fourth in Clemson history in career slugging percentage (.624) and ninth in career home runs per game (0.24).
He was inducted into the Clemson Athletic Hall of Fame in 1976 and the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame in 1998. He was also honored as an ACC Legend in 2014.
A Generous Benefactor
Kingsmore was not only a great player, but also a great benefactor of the Clemson baseball program. He made a substantial donation in 2000 that allowed the Tigers to renovate their stadium, which was then named Doug Kingsmore Stadium in his honor.
The stadium has since become one of the top facilities in the country, hosting 15 NCAA regionals and/or super regionals since 1994. It has also been ranked as the No. 6 ballpark in the nation and No. 1 in the ACC by D1Baseball.com in 2016.
Kingsmore’s generosity also extended to other areas of the university, such as the College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences, where he endowed a professorship and a scholarship fund. He was a member of the Clemson University Foundation Board of Directors and the President’s Advisory Board.
He received the Clemson Medallion, the university’s highest public honor, in 2001, and the Distinguished Service Award, the highest honor of the Clemson Alumni Association, in 2002.
A Life Well-Lived
Doug Kingsmore was born in Greenville, South Carolina, on June 12, 1932. He graduated from Greenville High School in 1950 and then enrolled at Clemson, where he majored in mechanical engineering. He served in the U.S. Army from 1954 to 1956 and then worked as an engineer for General Electric for 35 years.
He married his wife, Betty, in 1957 and they had three children, Doug Jr., David and Susan. He was an active member of the First Baptist Church of Greenville and a devoted fan of Clemson sports.
He is survived by his wife, his children, his grandchildren and his great-grandchildren. He will be remembered as a legend, a leader and a loyal Tiger.
