Inspirational

Gladys Sheets Clay never entertained whether or not she would go to college. … She would. She never considered options. To her, there was only one choice. Carson-Newman. Afterall, her parents had worked at Carson-Newman since Gladys was a child.

She was the valedictorian of her graduating class at Nelson Merry High School, and yet her application to Carson-Newman was denied. 

See, it was 1957. Fifteen-year-old Paul McCartney met John Lennon at a village festival. United States Marine pilot, later astronaut, Major John Glenn flew a supersonic jet from California to New York in 3 hours, 23 minutes and 8 seconds, setting a new transcontinental speed record. And the Soviet Union launched Sputnik.

But with all these moments in history and advancements in technology, segregation in 1957 continued to create hurdles that seem hard to imagine today. But unfortunately, they were all too real at that time. 

Of course there was disappointment. Even hurt. But as determined as Gladys was as a student, she was even more so as a person and would not allow disappointment and defeat to define her.

Completing her undergraduate work at Knoxville College, Gladys pursued post-graduate studies at Virginia State University, North Carolina Central University and Union College in Kentucky.

For the next 50 years Gladys served as an educator who poured herself into her students, teaching and mentoring. 

Through the years, Gladys served as chair of her high school’s English department in Laurel, Maryland. She was her high school’s senior class sponsor and advisor of the both the school’s yearbook and newspaper. Her commitment was noticed. She earned such honors as “Teacher of the Year” and “Outstanding Educator.”

It was a life well-lived. But she felt a calling to do more.

In 1990, she and her late husband, George, returned to Jefferson City. Gladys still desired to help students. 

By God’s grace, she became aware of a position at a local college. The institution was searching for an instructor of Development Education and supervisor of the Tutoring Lab. 

The institution? Carson-Newman. 

Gladys applied and was hired. She would teach Presidential Scholars, Developmental Education students in English and study skills. Her faithful service and effective teaching led her to become director of the Development Education Department and supervisor of the Tutoring Labsoon after. So, at the institution where she had been denied admission, Gladys Sheets Clay became the University’s first full-time, black faculty member. 

She jumped into her role the way Gladys Clay does anything, straight ahead. She was serious about education, her students and their future. And she wanted them to be serious as well.

According to testimonies of some of those former students, when those methods did not work, Gladys employed “tough love.”

One day a student was sent to her by a coach, with the request that Gladys put the “fear of God in him.” After having a heart-to-heart talk, the student informed her he would not be coming back. To which Gladys replied. “That’s okay. See you tomorrow at 3:00.”

The student returned the next day. “At the end of the week,” Gladys recalled, “he said to me, ‘I’ll see you Monday – Mom.’ And I’ve been ‘Mom’ ever since.”

Over the years Gladys became ‘Mom’ to many students. Supporting them during class and cheering for the student-athletes on game day. Her devotion impacted countless students, both on and off the field, blazing a trail that continues to inspire.

“I loved my students,” said Gladys. “I loved every last one of them – whether black, white, green or yellow – it didn’t matter to me. They were my students.”

She resigned after 14 years but was asked the next year to come back on a part-time basis. She stayed another three terms, finally retiring after 17 years of service to Carson-Newman.

Upon moving to Florida, Gladys served as the director of Focused Academics Motivating Excellence (FAME) Program at Edward Waters College in Jacksonville, Florida. There she supervised the Tutoring/Learning Lab and Peer Tutors and served as a math specialist and writing specialist. Three times she was a co-presenter of a workshop at the National Association of Developmental Education.

A life dedicated to education and her students. A life dedicated to being a devoted follower of Jesus Christ. A life dedicated to overcoming challenges instead of choosing to be defeated by them.

For more than a half-century Gladys Sheets Clay has poured back into students, helping them advance their education. 

Now, at 87, Gladys’ steps may be slower, but not her drive. She still handles everything the way she always has, straight on.

Her perseverance and determination were and remain admirable. Her dedication to the role of education and the commitment to her students was and is inspirational. 

All of that and more is why in May at Spring Commencement, her University family paused to thank Gladys Sheets Clay. To honor her for that determination, dedication and commitment, Carson-Newman conferred upon her an honorary Doctor of Humanities Degree.

Dr. Gladys Sheets Clay, certainly an inspiration.

Kevin Triplett, Vice President for University Relations