Barclay Simpson

Barclay Simpson ’66 carried the skills he gained as a business administration graduate and turned them into innovations that have dramatically influenced and continue to shape the construction and building materials industry. His journey began simply and humbly in 1956, when a neighbor’s brother asked him to craft a piece of hardware to connect 2x4s to a roof; Barc used a punch press at his father’s Oakland window screen factory to create the first ever Simpson Strong-Tie joist hanger. Seventy years and hundreds of patents later, Simpson Strong-Tie is a global leader in structural product manufacturing. Barc passed away in 2014, but his mission to provide innovative solutions that help people design and build safer, stronger structures lives on. Beyond products, his vision, values, and leadership also thrive through Simpson Strong-Tie’s ongoing engagements with students and communities through scholarships, design and testing labs, and partnerships.