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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.

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Upcoming Events

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Football Thursday Lunch - October

October 3rd 2024 @ 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Football Thursday lunches continue! Join fellow Tiger fans to discuss the current football season on Thursday October 3 12:00pm – 1:00pm at Allen Martin’s office, 499 South Capitol Street, SW, Suite 600, Washington DC. Lunch will be served. Registration is $10 for Club members; $25 for non-members. Come prepared to discuss some Clemson Football with special guest TBD. Ideas for guest speakers are most welcome. Please register if you plan to attend.
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October 3rd 2024 @ 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

Football Thursday Lunch - October


October 3


@


12:00 pm



1:00 pm

Football Thursday lunches continue! Join fellow Tiger fans to discuss the current football season on Thursday October 3 12:00pm – 1:00pm at Allen Martin’s office, 499 South Capitol Street, SW, Suite 600, Washington DC. Lunch will be served. Registration is $10 for Club members; $25 for non-members. Come prepared to discuss some Clemson Football with special guest TBD. Ideas for guest speakers are most welcome. Please register if you plan to attend.

Mount Vernon Clean Up Day

October 26th 2024 @ 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Join us Saturday, October 26 from 9:00am – Noon, for this fun morning outside as we experience George Washington’s Mount Vernon in all its fall glory.  We’ll help clean up the estate’s surrounding forest areas and have great fun doing so.  This is a family friendly event and children (ages 10+) are encouraged to attend.  Water, lunch, and lots of good humor will all be provided.  Attendees are encouraged to wear long pants and bring work gloves. As you work, Dean will share stories about the historic property and take you to places that are not open to the public.  Many
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October 26th 2024 @ 9:00 am - 12:00 pm

Mount Vernon Clean Up Day


October 26


@


9:00 am



12:00 pm

Join us Saturday, October 26 from 9:00am – Noon, for this fun morning outside as we experience George Washington’s Mount Vernon in all its fall glory.  We’ll help clean up the estate’s surrounding forest areas and have great fun doing so.  This is a family friendly event and children (ages 10+) are encouraged to attend.  Water, lunch, and lots of good humor will all be provided.  Attendees are encouraged to wear long pants and bring work gloves.

As you work, Dean will share stories about the historic property and take you to places that are not open to the public.  Many thanks to Dean Norton ’77 for organizing this event and providing lunch!

Registration is limited to just 25 guests – so don’t delay.  This event is free for current Club members and $30 for non-members.  Register today to save your spot.

Football Thursday Lunch - November

November 7th 2024 @ 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Football Thursday lunches continue! Join fellow Tiger fans to discuss the current football season on Thursday November 7 12:00pm – 1:00pm at Allen Martin’s office, 499 South Capitol Street, SW, Suite 600, Washington DC. Lunch will be served. Registration is $10 for Club members; $25 for non-members. Come prepared to discuss some Clemson Football with special guest TBD. Ideas for guest speakers are most welcome. Please register if you plan to attend.
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November 7th 2024 @ 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

Football Thursday Lunch - November


November 7


@


12:00 pm



1:00 pm

Football Thursday lunches continue! Join fellow Tiger fans to discuss the current football season on Thursday November 7 12:00pm – 1:00pm at Allen Martin’s office, 499 South Capitol Street, SW, Suite 600, Washington DC. Lunch will be served. Registration is $10 for Club members; $25 for non-members. Come prepared to discuss some Clemson Football with special guest TBD. Ideas for guest speakers are most welcome. Please register if you plan to attend.

Football Thursday Lunch - December

December 5th 2024 @ 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Football Thursday lunches continue! Join fellow Tiger fans to discuss the current football season on Thursday December 5 12:00pm – 1:00pm at Allen Martin’s office, 499 South Capitol Street, SW, Suite 600, Washington DC. Lunch will be served. Registration is $10 for Club members; $25 for non-members. Come prepared to discuss some Clemson Football with special guest TBD. Ideas for guest speakers are most welcome. Please register if you plan to attend
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December 5th 2024 @ 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

Football Thursday Lunch - December


December 5


@


12:00 pm



1:00 pm

Football Thursday lunches continue! Join fellow Tiger fans to discuss the current football season on Thursday December 5 12:00pm – 1:00pm at Allen Martin’s office, 499 South Capitol Street, SW, Suite 600, Washington DC. Lunch will be served. Registration is $10 for Club members; $25 for non-members. Come prepared to discuss some Clemson Football with special guest TBD. Ideas for guest speakers are most welcome. Please register if you plan to attend

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