{"id":8763,"date":"2013-12-09T09:00:55","date_gmt":"2013-12-09T14:00:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/creative.clemson.edu\/clemsonworld\/?p=8763"},"modified":"2013-12-09T09:00:55","modified_gmt":"2013-12-09T14:00:55","slug":"message-clemsons-15th-president","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/message-clemsons-15th-president\/","title":{"rendered":"A Message from Clemson's 15th President"},"content":{"rendered":"

I am thrilled to be named the 15th president of Clemson University. I want to thank the Board of Trustees and the search committee for this incredible opportunity and for believing in me and my family. It is obvious that the board really loves this University and cares very deeply about it. Their love and passion for Clemson are contagious.
\n[pullquote align=’left’ font=’oswald’ color=’#86898C’]One of the things that excited us so much about Clemson is that this is a family-oriented place, and the phrase \u201cClemson Family\u201d means something very special.[\/pullquote] As one of the greatest public land-grant research universities in the country, Clemson has a wonderful history and a bright future. It is highly respected for being a student-centered campus that provides a top-notch, high-quality education while producing world-class research and vital services to the community.
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\"Clockwise,<\/a>

Clockwise, from left: Maggie, a freshman at WVU; Grace, a seventh grader; Tyler, a fourth-year student at WVU; Hannah, a freshman at Clemson; Jim; and Beth Clements<\/p><\/div>
\nThe Clemson Family is not something new to me. Beth\u2019s family lives near the University, and her two brothers and a sister-in-law are graduates of Clemson. For more than two decades, I have seen how passionate they are about this place \u2014 and how thankful they are for the great education they received here. Our youngest daughter, Grace, has special needs, and as she enters the next phase of her life, we believe that having her extended family close to her is something that will be very important.
\nI am humbled to walk in the footsteps of so many great presidents who have served at the University. I have been a big fan of President Jim Barker for a long time. He is highly respected across the country for his leadership, and he is also lucky to have a wonderful partner in First Lady Marcia Barker. I can promise you that Beth and I will rely on the Barkers\u2019 advice and guidance in the years to come.
\nClemson truly is a gem in higher education. I look forward to working with our elected officials and business leaders to promote economic and workforce development. I believe that working together \u2014 as one team \u2014 is the only way we can succeed.
\nWhen I was a kid my mother always told me to be a good person and to make a difference. I promise you that I will do my very best \u2014 working with you \u2014 to fulfill the vision set forth by Thomas Green Clemson.
\nGo Tigers!
\nJames P. Clements<\/em>
\nEDUCATION<\/strong><\/p>\n