Molly Clemons was only 27 when she became JEA president in 1975 and served one, two-year term. Always active in scholastic journalism and JEA, she received the Carl Towley award in 1980. She died Sept. 29, 2022.
Molly served as editor of Communication: Journalism Education Today for 15 years from 1982 to 1997 and, indeed, spent most of her career in education, beginning as a journalism teacher and head of the English Department at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb.
Linda Puntney, MJE, former JEA executive director, said, “Perhaps her most influential role was as editor of C:JET where she crafted content to help teachers and advisers bring best-practice techniques and cutting-edge ideas to their staffs.”
Molly taught English and journalism at Blue Springs High School for one year, then became assistant principal at Palmer Junior High, later moving to Truman High School for 10 years, before becoming director of secondary education and emergency preparedness for the school district.
Former JEA President Candace Perkins Bowen, MJE, said, “She and Ron [Clemons] were the heart and soul of JEA back then. Both former presidents, they helped the organization grow and prosper.”
Former JEA President H.L. Hall, MJE, said, “She and Ron both were outstanding leaders in JEA and helped make scholastic journalism better throughout the country.”
Ron, her husband of 40 years, provided the following information for JEA’s 100th anniversary.
What was the focus of her presidency?
As president, she had two passions: student press rights and Write-offs. She even helped develop more Write-offs categories.
How did her involvement in JEA affect her career?
She always said JEA helped her develop further leadership roles — roles that led her down a different path. After she and Ron were married in 1982, she moved to Independence, Missouri, where, within a year, she was named assistant principal of Palmer Junior High School. She served in that position for six years and was named by Executive Educator magazine one of the 100 top administrators in the country.
How did her leadership role change?
She became associate principal at Truman High School and, for 10 years, was one of Ron’s bosses. She was named director of Higher Education and Emergency Preparedness for the Independence School District. While at Palmer and Truman, she wrote the presentation that led to each school receiving the Blue Ribbon Award from the U.S. Department of Education. She went to the White House to receive the award from the president.
What leadership roles did she have after she retired?
She became director of the George Caleb Bingham Academy of the Arts, a five-week summer program for outstanding students in art, creative media, music, or theater. She followed Ron as director after he retired from that position. One of the founders of the academy, he was director for 15 years. In 2015 she and Ron were named co-executive directors of Music/Arts Institute, a nonprofit school for private music lessons. She held both positions until her unexpected death Sept. 29, 2022. Two scholarships are given in her name and on Nov. 11, 2023, the institute dedicated the new Molly Clemons Multipurpose Center.
What recognition did she receive outside of academics?
She was president of the Independence Junior Service League and the Independence Youth Court. She also served on the Truman Presidential Library Commission where she had the opportunity to meet past presidents and leading seniors who received the Harry S. Truman Award. The commission gave her a Special Recognition Award posthumously in November 2023. In 2020 the Independence Examiner named her the “Outstanding Woman of the Year” for Eastern Jackson County. The mayor of Independence named Molly and her husband Independence Citizens of the Year in 2015.
