Buck Mickel was born December 17, 1925 in Elberton, Georgia to James Clark and Reba Vaughn Mickel. Educated in public schools in Elberton and Atlanta, he graduated from Elberton High School in 1942. During World War II, he attended the U.S. Maritime Academy and served in the Atlantic, Mediterranean and Pacific theaters. Returning to Georgia, Mickel attended the Georgia Institute of Technology and received a B.S. degree in civil engineering in 1947. The following year Mickel began his long association with Daniel Construction Company which was interrupted by a three year tour of duty in Europe as a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineering during the Korean Conflict. Returning to Daniel, he rose in the corporation becoming an assistant to the chairman of the board in 1956 and executive vice president in 1958. Upon the death of Charles E. Daniel in 1964, Mickel was elected president and general manager effective January 1, 1965. Under Mickel's leadership, Daniel Construction was renamed Daniel International Corporation and experienced remarkable growth with significant expansion into foreign and national projects. In 1977 the Fluor Corporation acquired Daniel. Mickel then served in several senior management capacities for the merged firm until his retirement from executive positions in 1987. Mickel was the chairman and chief executive officer of RSI Holdings from 1978-1998. This holding company owned Royal Scotsman Inn Corporation, a motel chain; Porter Brothers, an outdoor power equipment distributor; Weigman and Rose International, a heat transfer equipment manufacturer; Harper Brothers, an office supply store; and had substantial holdings in Delta Woodside Textile Manufacturing. Mickel advocated the development of South Carolina and downtown Greenville in particular. He served on many corporate boards, including Stone Manufacturing Company, as well as the boards of various philanthropic and civic organizations including Brookgreen Gardens, the Greenville Chamber of Commerce, and the Japan-Southeast U.S. Association. Mickel was an advocate of higher education serving on the boards of the Citadel, Clemson University, Converse College, Georgia Tech, Presbyterian College, and Wofford College. He was a strong supporter of Senator Strom Thurmond and a variety of other South Carolina political leaders including Senator Ernest "Fritz" Hollings and Governor David Beasley.
From the description of Buck Mickel papers, 1925-1998, bulk 1964-1997. (Clemson University Libraries). WorldCat record id: 427527648
