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 AllYoung Alumni Happy Hour - June
Young Alumni Happy Hour - June
June 12
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5:30 pm
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7:30 pm
Celebrate summer with our Clemson Young Alumni and current students. Held at Mission Navy Yard in DC, these happy hours are super casual and open to all local young alums, current students and interns. We’ve verified with Mission that students/interns 18+ will be admitted, but you must be 21 to purchase alcohol. No registration is required – just show up!
CU@Home with Billy Davis '84
CU@Home with Billy Davis '84
June 26
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12:00 pm
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1:00 pm
What REALLY Happened in Butler, PA?
Join us for an important online discussion with Billy Davis, Director of Executive and Major Event Security for Samaritan’s Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. Billy will be sharing his expert insights into the assassination attempt on President Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Billy has extensive credentials, serving as a Special Agent in the U.S. Secret Service for almost 3 decades. Billy was not only a Team Leader on the USSS Counter Assault Teams, but also served as Special Agent in Charge of the Vice Presidential Protective Division. These are elite assignments within the Secret Service, requiring high-level tactical, operational, and leadership expertise.
In his current role, Billy provides personal security for Reverend Franklin Graham as he travels globally to areas impacted by war and disaster, bringing both humanitarian aid and hope. With more than 30 years of experience at the highest levels of federal protection, Billy brings a uniquely qualified perspective to the Butler event and the broader implications for executive security.
New Student Party - MD
New Student Party - MD
July 16
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6:30 pm
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8:00 pm
The Baltimore/DC Clemson Club will welcome incoming students and their families at a casual gathering in Annapolis, MD. Join us at this free event to meet new students and discuss all things Clemson! Local Alumni, current students and current parents will be in attendance to help answer questions you may have. We look forward to meeting you and welcoming you to the Clemson Family!
New Student Party - VA
New Student Party - VA
July 17
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6:30 pm
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8:00 pm
The Baltimore/DC Clemson Club will welcome incoming students and their families at a casual gathering in Vienna, VA. Join us at this free event to meet new students and discuss all things Clemson! Local Alumni, current students and current parents will be in attendance to help answer questions you may have. We look forward to meeting you and welcoming you to the Clemson Family!
Young Alumni Happy Hour - July
Young Alumni Happy Hour - July
July 24
@
5:30 pm
–
7:30 pm
Celebrate summer with our Clemson Young Alumni and current students. Held at Mission Navy Yard in DC, these happy hours are super casual and open to all local young alums, current students and interns. We’ve verified with Mission that students/interns 18+ will be admitted, but you must be 21 to purchase alcohol. No registration is required – just show up!
