Abernathy/Cox One Clemson Award recognizes professor, organizations

Published: March 6, 2013

By Evan Lybrand

CLEMSON — Clemson University professor Nancy Leininger, the Clemson SERTOMA Club and the Clemson Free Clinic each have been presented the 2013 Abernathy/Cox One Clemson Award.

This award, named after late Clemson Mayor Larry Abernathy and the late Clemson President Emeritus Walter T. Cox, is given annually by the Joint City/University Advisory Board to an organization and/or an individual who made major contributions to Clemson University and the community.

The individual award was given to Leininger, a professor of graphic communications at Clemson University for 23 years. She is tasked with supervising the placement of more than 150 internships for graphics communications majors every year. She volunteers for many local programs and organizations, including Clemson Community Care, local schools and churches; and she also serves as a host family for the Irish Children’s Summer Program.

Leininger helped to raise more than $100,000 for Relay for Life in 2012, an organization that she has worked with since 1999. Leininger has been described by her students and colleagues as “generous beyond description in giving of her time and talent” and “everything she does is truly excellent and goes far beyond what is required.” 

Two awards were given in the organization category this year.

• The Clemson SERTOMA Club was founded more than 50 years ago and now has around 35 members. One of the club’s projects is Camp SERTOMA, a camp for disadvantaged children ages 7 to 13. The SERTOMA Club has worked to give Clemson students opportunities to learn about service through real-life experiences as well as raising funds for multiple local programs, such as Clemson Community Care.
• The Clemson Free Clinic opened its doors in 2005, and in 2011 it was relocated to what was once the Clemson Municipal Court office. The clinic provides medical care for individuals who have no health insurance and an income below the poverty line in the Clemson, Central and Pendleton areas. The clinic receives no state or federal funding; its budget is maintained by donations from citizens, churches and civic organizations. Staffed entirely by volunteers, it cared for 817 individuals and filled 3,458 prescriptions in 2011 alone.

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