Clinton N. Hewitt, FASLA was born in 1935 in Powhatan, Virginia. He obtained a B.S. in Ornamental Horticulture from Virginia State College (1956), and B.S. (1963), and Master’s (1965) degrees in Landscape Architecture from Michigan State University.
While a student at Michigan State, Hewitt worked as a landscape architect for the Division of Physical Plant Planning and Development. From 1965-1968, he was employed as Superintendent of Campus Grounds and Development at Southern University, and from 1968-1972 was the Assistant University Planner at the University of Michigan.
Hewitt was appointed Director of Physical Planning and Assistant Professor of Horticultural Science at the University of Minnesota in April of 1972. Among his first initiatives were the continuation of various campus transportation studies, implementation of a computerized carpool system, and an inventory of historic buildings on the St. Paul campus.
Hewitt was promoted to Assistant Vice President of Physical Planning and Associate Professor in July of 1973. In this role, Hewitt directed the Office of Physical Planning, which was composed of multiple units that coordinated the planning, design, and construction of facilities and managed the overall operation of properties owned by the University of Minnesota. This work was guided by a series of long-range development plans designed and implemented for multiple campuses, research centers, and other University properties.
In addition to planning for the construction of new buildings and remodeling existing facilities, Hewitt’s campus master plans encompassed all aspects of physical infrastructure. This included such areas as transportation (parking, transitways); maintenance (building code upgrades, asbestos abatement); accessibility (ramps, automatic door installation); landscape and environment (public art, outdoor plazas); and historic preservation. The Office of Physical Planning also made land evaluations and managed real estate transactions.
Hewitt was promoted to Associate Vice President of Physical Planning in 1983. He retired from the University in 2009.