Board Member Spotlight
Clete Boykin ’79*
Celeste “Clete” Boykin, a Manning native, grew up in Lancaster and graduated summa cum laude from Lancaster High School. Once at Clemson, she was one of the first African Americans to be a member of Tiger Band.
In 1979, she graduated with honors and received a Bachelor of Science degree in plant sciences. She joined E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company as the first African American woman to work as a sales and marketing representative in the company’s Agricultural Chemicals business.
Among Clete’s many volunteer leadership roles for Clemson, she is a former member of both the University’s Board of Visitors and the Clemson University Foundation Board of Directors. Currently, she chairs the Clemson Institute for Parks Board of Advisors. She is a member of the Clemson University Tiger Band Association and a longtime board member of the Baltimore/Washington, DC Clemson Club.
She has helped to organize various Clemson events in the Washington area, including 2017’s Clemson Day at the White House honoring the University’s national championship football team. She also helps students of color in the D.C. area who are interested in attending Clemson with advice about the correct points of contact on campus and taking campus tours.
Clete is a member of the Clemson Legacy Society, which honors donors who have included Clemson in their estate plans, and she supports Clemson athletics as a member of IPTAY.
Clete is an extremely proud member of the “Benet Babes,” a group of Clemson alumnae who lived on the fourth floor of Benet Hall and who won the 1978 Women’s Intramural Flag Football Championship. In 2015, the group established a scholarship fund to give future students the opportunity to make their own lifelong friends and memories while getting a high quality Clemson education.
* This information was taken from the Clemson Alumni Association Distinguished Service Award website.
Upcoming Events
See AllWreaths Out
Wreaths Out
January 11, 2025
@
8:00 am
–
11:00 am
By January, the holiday spirit has lessened and the weather is colder. The 250,000+ holiday wreaths that were placed at Arlington National Cemetery in December are ready to be removed. Coordinated by Wreaths Across America, this is an often overlooked volunteer opportunity. Join the Clemson Club to help retrieve/remove wreaths as we honor veterans, their service and their final resting place.
This volunteer opportunity is open to everyone and many hands are needed to help!
Mom's Care Package Party - VA
Mom's Care Package Party - VA
January 30, 2025
@
6:30 pm
–
8:30 pm
Hosted by Angie Paolozzi P’24 & Helen Bath P’23 at Angie’s home in Vienna, Virginia.
We would love to have you join us for a very casual evening of Clemson camaraderie! We’ll enjoy hors d’oeuvres and beverages, meet some great local Clemson moms, and assemble care packages for our Clemson students in time for a Valentine’s Day surprise.
Here’s how it works: Once we have a confirmed guest count, each person is asked to bring one item to contribute to the care packages. For example, if we have 15 people joining, then you would bring 15 of one item (Rice Krispies treats, lip balm, ramen noodles, fuzzy socks … you get the idea!) and at the end of the night, you’ll walk away with a box full of goodies that you can mail to your Clemson student(s).
Sounds like fun,right?!
Mom's Care Package Party - MD
Mom's Care Package Party - MD
January 30, 2025
@
6:30 pm
–
8:30 pm
Hosted by Jenny Sprungle P’25, P’28 at in Severna Park, Maryland.
We would love to have you join us for a very casual evening of Clemson camaraderie! We’ll enjoy hors d’oeuvres and beverages, meet some great local Clemson moms, and assemble care packages for our Clemson students in time for a mid-term surprise.
Here’s how it works: Once we have a confirmed guest count, each person is asked to bring one item to contribute to the care packages. For example, if we have 15 people joining, then you would bring 15 of one item (Rice Krispies treats, lip balm, ramen noodles, fuzzy socks … you get the idea!) and at the end of the night, you’ll walk away with a box full of goodies that you can mail to your Clemson student(s).
Sounds like fun,right?!
Football Thursday Lunch - February
Football Thursday Lunch - February
February 6, 2025
@
12:00 pm
–
1:00 pm
Gather with fellow Tigers to break down this year’s Football season on Thursday, February 6, 12:00pm – 1:00pm at at Allen Martin’s office, 499 South Capitol Street, SW, Suite 600, Washington DC. Registration is $10 for Club members; $25 for non-members. Come prepared to discuss some Clemson Football with special guest Graham Neff. Graham Neff will join via Zoom. Lunch will be provided.
