Students, donors, faculty and alumni waited eagerly for Beth Clements to make her appearance at the latest event hosted in the President and First Lady’s Suite at Clemson University’s Memorial Stadium.
A few attendees noticed as Clements casually walked in, wearing a long, flowy dress paired with an orange blazer and bold earrings that peeked through her blond hair. In just seconds, she was surrounded by a crowd of smiling faces.
They’re excited to see the bright personality of Clemson University’s first lady — she knows all of their names and Clements makes them feel like a close friend they’ve known for years as they exchange back-and-forth conversations about their big life updates.
However, they may be surprised to find out that Clements plays something of the role of a spokesperson for the University, juggling being a mom, wife, grandmother and leader. They might be amazed to discover that she had already spoken at another event that morning, then managed to take a phone call in between to ensure her daughter was doing well as a new parent. Later, Clements would end the day with a graduation gala celebrating ClemsonLIFE graduates hosted in her backyard.
Ten years ago, Elisabeth S. “Beth” Clements claimed her spot as Clemson University’s first lady after the appointment of her husband, James P. “Jim” Clements, as Clemson’s 15th president. Long before Jim Clements was picked to replace retiring Clemson president James F. Barker, the couple met at Maryland’s Towson University, where she was finishing up her Master of Education in reading and he was serving as a professor of computer and information sciences.
“We’re actually quite different, but I think that’s the spark that keeps us together,” the first lady said. “Jim’s more serious and responsible, and I’m more silly, but he’s truly my rock — there’s no one else that could fit my personality like him.”
Following her graduation, their love story began to take shape, and the two were engaged within just six months. The couple quickly had their first child, Tyler J. Clements, followed by two twin girls, Hannah Kinser ’17 and Maggie Coombs. Their youngest daughter, Grace Clements, was diagnosed at a young age with a neurological communication disorder called apraxia of speech, as well as a condition that causes muscle weakness. The eldest three have given the first lady six grandchildren that she adores more than anything and a lifetime of excitement.
“We went from a family of six to 15 in the last 10 years,” Beth Clements said. “The little ones range from 8 months to 5 years old, so it’s chaos when we’re all together, but it’s so much fun, and I love to see my older three kids parent together.”
Like their mother, Clements’ children also have a profound love for Clemson. Her son Tyler Clements is the director of recruiting strategies in the athletics department at Clemson and Kinser earned her bachelor’s degree in special education at the University. Grace Clements is a current ClemsonLIFE student who’s involved in the community as manager of Clemson’s softball team, a member of Alpha Chi Omega and an employee at TD’s of Clemson.
“We call her ‘Amazing Grace’ because everything we do will always end up being tied back to her,” Tyler said. “My mom was adamant about being the best parent she could to Grace and she did that.”
As Clemson’s first lady, Beth Clements plays a supporting role to the University president and actively engages with the campus community. She puts in the effort to connect with students and even refers to herself as their “mom away from home.”
“She works really, really hard, and there’s a lot that she does that goes unnoticed, but she doesn’t want credit for it,” Colleen Mullen, a lifelong friend and sorority sister of Clements, said. “During the pandemic, she was checking in on all the kids and not just my child at Clemson. She was dropping off gift baskets for students at hotels and taking care of students coming in from other states.”
Clements’ passion for the student experience is best represented by her involvement in the University’s ClemsonLIFE program, a program designed to prepare students with intellectual disabilities for future careers and independent living.
“Ever since coming to Clemson a decade ago, Beth Clements has been instrumental in the continued improvement and growth of the ClemsonLIFE program. The first lady has volunteered countless hours serving on our advisory board and sharing her expertise to help shape the program and raise grant-in-aid funding for students in need. We are extremely grateful for everything she has done for the ClemsonLIFE program and our students,” Joseph B. Ryan, the founder and executive director of ClemsonLIFE, said.
Beth Clements’ journey in acting as an advocate for her daughter’s health and education would not only influence her path to Clemson but also guide her in leading as the first lady. Her story began in Michigan, where she was born, before moving to the small city of Corning, New York, with her parents, Priscilla and Clifton “Cliff” Smith; her two brothers, Gene Smith ’94 and Gregory C. “Greg” Smith ’84; and her sister, Cathy Fortier.
By the time Clements was 3 years old, she was living in the southeastern European country of Romania so that her father could further his career in engineering. As she was very young when her family moved, she doesn’t recall much, but her parents vividly recall stories from her childhood, including when she began to pick up the language.
“One day, I witnessed our driver picking Beth up for school, and he looked at her and asked her in Romanian where I was,” Cliff Smith said. “She responded, ‘I don’t know, he’s not here’ in fluent Romanian at just 3 or 4 years old.”
By the time she was 12, Clements and her family had moved to Poland, where she remembers a lot about the culture and lifestyle. She credits this time outside of the United States with fostering her love for different cultures and says it’s a big part of who she is today. Moving so much taught Clements how to be more social and open-minded while staying grounded in her faith.
“Growing up, she was always the mom who sought the Lord every day,” Maggie said. “She made sure we were seeking our own relationship with the Lord, and she inspires me to do the same for my kids.”
Eventually, it became clear that her oldest brother, Greg Smith, would soon finish school in Poland and needed to find a college, leading the family to make their way back to New York.
“We said he could go anywhere he wanted, and he looked into Texas A&M, Clarkson up in New York, Rutgers and many other schools,” Cliff Smith said. “He looked at all of them, but he still picked Clemson out of a book and went there, having never seen the University prior.”
Gene Smith followed in his brother’s footsteps, and in time, both graduated from Clemson students to alumni. They are now a part of Clemson’s board of visitors, where Greg Smith serves as chairman. Greg Smith holds active lectures on Clemson’s campus once a week to teach students about entrepreneurial business and is a recipient of the prestigious Distinguished Service Award, the highest honor that the Clemson Alumni Association can bestow upon a Clemson alumnus or alumna. In addition to the board of visitors, Gene Smith also serves on the University’s Industrial Engineering Advisory Board. Their love for Clemson runs deep and would eventually influence Beth Clements and the Clements family to make their way to the University too.
Before Clemson, Jim Clements served as president of West Virginia University. The couple knew they needed a fresh start that would not only benefit his career but also their family. Having a daughter with special needs, it was very important to them that they find a school that would push her toward an independent life. Once they learned about the ClemsonLIFE program, Beth Clements fell in love with Clemson just like her brothers.
“ClemsonLIFE was very, very new when we got here, and now it is truly the model for programs like it around the country,” Kinser said. “We never imagined there being a college where Grace could thrive, and it’s been life-changing for her, my mom and the family.”
Before Grace Clements was a student, the first lady served on the ClemsonLIFE’s board for almost eight years. Since then, Clements has remained involved in ClemsonLIFE by helping with fundraising, spreading awareness and improving accessibility to the program. She has also been named an honorary alumna for her outstanding support of the University and is incredibly grateful as the first lady to have a daughter in ClemsonLIFE to help elevate the program for future generations to come.
“I want to continue to be present for Clemson’s students and ensure that ClemsonLIFE remains visible,” Clements said. “My hope is that every graduate from Clemson will embrace others, especially individuals with special needs, wherever they go next.”
