Dr. Ben A. Clements Jr.

Dr. Ben A. Clements, Jr. was born March 1, 1936, at Gibson Hospital in Enterprise, Alabama, and was delivered by his grand uncle Dr. Edward Gibson. He was the son of Banjamin Archie Clements and Mildred Smith Clements, and at his birth had all of his grandparents living and six of eight of his great-grandparents alive. All of the grandparental figures greatly influenced him even until his teenage years and gave him a great love of history as a hobby. However, he was educated as a natural scientist under the sponsorship of the National Science Foundation and was a career collegiate teacher and administrator, as well as spending his early years in the secondary classroom until he could attain graduate degrees. He was in the last graduating class of Alabama Polytechnic Institute in August of 1959, and obtained a master’s degree there (Auburn University) in 1962, and also a doctorate at AU in 1972. He attended Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX and the University of Texas in Arlington, TX as part of NSF programs for college teachers in the natural sciences. He graduated from West End High School (1954) and Stonewall Jackson School (1950) in Birmingham, AL. His most productive years as an educator were at Jones Valley High School (Birmingham, AL). Andrew College (Cuthbert, GA), Jefferson State Community College (Birmingham, AL), Southeast Commercial College (Okinawa, Japan & Birmingham, AL) and Bessemer Academy (Bessemer, AL). In addition, he operated his own consultancy dealing in federal program evaluation and international student exchange for many years. He held every job title from “Bus Driver” (JVHS) to “College President” (SECC) in a career that extended from the late 1950’s down to the present in both the private and public fields of school work. He was a member of many professional, honorary, and historical organizations, including the Sons of the American Revolution and The Military Order of the Stars and Bars, and taught Bible classes at both the church and secular levels. He was a decades-long member of North Gardendale Church of Christ. He served six years in the US Army Reserve (Engineers) and was a Selective Service Local Draft Board member for the entire twenty-year term allowed by law, with many of those years as a chariman, receiving a service medal for his efforts. He was a published author and presenter of historical revolutionary war and other related programs, mostly to book clubs, DAR and SAR chapters. As to hobbies and use of leisure time, he was an avid fisherman, especially of the deep sea, loved vegetable gardening thoroughly enjoyed railroad travel, and had a life-long love affair with motor bikes, scooters, and motorcycles. He was an accomplished genealogist, and helped others pursue their own family tree. Also, he was an ardent sports fan for life. He primarily preferred NHL hockey (Nashville “Preds”) and MLB (Braves, Cubs, Yankees and the old Southern Association (Birmingham Barons). He followed SEC collegiate football and NFL professional football but became less passionate about that sport as he aged and his love for hockey and baseball increased commensurately. He was known to his students as ”Dr. Ben,” and was greatly loved and respected by generations of students who continued to correspond with him long after their graduations and down unto the present. He thought of himself as a pragmatist who “practiced the possible, and was liberal enough to be progressive and conservative enough to e economically sound.” He believed teaching to be the greatest of all professions because it was a necessary precursor to the same. Truly his passion was his family and classroom teaching. Dr. Clements passed away June 23, 2025. His loving family as well as many beloved students and friends are left to cherish his memory. Services to honor his life will be held at Gardendale Heritage Funeral Home on Monday, June 30, 2025. Visitation will be from 1-2pm. Chapel Service will begin at 2pm with burial following in Oakwood Memorial Gardens.

Tributes

Dr. Ben A. Clements Jr.

March 1, 1936 - June 23, 2025