Joseph Clemens
Encyclopedia
Joseph Clemens was an American Methodist Episcopalian
chaplain
, missionary
and plant collector
who served and worked in South East Asia and elsewhere. He was born in the rugged western English
county of Cornwall
. Later, his family migrated to Williamsport, Pennsylvania
, and then moved to Eichelsburg, Pennsylvania. His father was a Cornish iron miner, Charles Clemens, and his mother, Mary Jane James Clemens. Joe was the only one of five brothers who did not follow the family tradition and become a miner. He also had a sister.
in Carlisle, Pennsylvania
after probable preparation at the Williamsport Seminary
, which was a secondary school and a source of Dickinson students at the time. While at Dickinson, Joseph took the basic courses and studied to be a missionary. Among his courses of study were Dutch, German, Greek, Latin, and Hebrew, as well as Physics, Chemistry, Analytical Geometry, Political Economics, English Literature and Psychology. While at Dickinson, he was a member of the Sigma-Phi chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon
, and he wrote one of the yearly histories for the fraternity. He was the treasurer for the Union Philosophical Society and exhibited his religious zeal by being the treasurer of the Dickinson Prohibition Club. He played in the College orchestra and sang in the College choir. He was also a member of the Democratic committee at the college YMCA and the class poet.
Pointing to his eventual missionary status, he was a member of the Missionary department at the College YMCA and the corresponding secretary of the Williamsport Seminary Club. While at Dickinson, he passed most of his time with his involvement in his many activities4. He also played checkers, wrote letters to friends, acquaintances, family, church, and, of course, to his fiancé, Mary Knop Strong
of Muncy County, and studied. Many of his weekends were spent traveling to Williamsport to spend time with Mary.
with the Fifteenth Infantry.
From Hawaii, he was moved to the new American possession of the Philippines
, recently wrested from the Spanish in the Spanish-American War
. One of his tasks there was to bring "civilization" to the natives through missionary service. During one of his first services, on April 13, 1902, more than a hundred locals attended. After that, he held weekly services at the camp. His numbers of interested natives fluctuated; on April 20, for example, there were 50 natives in attendance, though the following week the number went back up to 75. Also, in 1902, while in Samar
, he helped to wipe out a cholera epidemic threatening all there. In 1905, he and Mary made the voyage to Mindanao
, where Joseph not only continued his missionary practice, but he also began a botanical study with his wife.
In 1918 Joseph was forced to retire from the military due to an injury in the line of duty. He was also by then fifty-six years of age. Afterwards, inspired by his own missions experience, he spent five months lecturing in Pennsylvania in small towns, factories, schools and churches. With the money he earned there, he endowed Dickinson seminary and support missions.
Not having received their fill of traveling, the Clemens' returned to the Philippines in 1922. There, he spent six and one half years doing evangelical work in Luzon
. During this time, he baptized 16,000 people.
in North Borneo
. In a period of six weeks they found and documented 101 new species of plants. In July 1931 he and his wife moved onward, leaving Luzon and the Philippines for Borneo again. There they began a plant collecting expedition which was later commissioned by the British Museum.
Still having a soft spot for Dickinson College, he and Mary created the Joseph and Mary Strong Clemens Scholarship Fund for students of Dickinson who are studying the ministry of the Methodist Episcopal Church. In that same year, 1934, he and Mary had an article about them published in the Manila Bulletin
, celebrating the advances that they have made in the botanical sciences. Meanwhile, he maintained contacts with his limestone alma mater half a world away, writing a letter to the College in 1935 that became an article in the Dickinson Alumnus. It describes one of his trips to the Islands, and his impressions of the natives he found there.
from food poisoning contracted from eating contaminated wild boar meat. The College Alumni Magazine paid tribute in a respectful obituary in May of that year. The couple had never had any children, and Mary spent the rest of her life, from the outbreak of war
in the Pacific when she was evacuated from New Guinea, in Australia
, most of it working at the Queensland Herbarium
. Upon the discovery of his diaries, she donated them to the Dickinson College archives.
Methodist Episcopal Church
The Methodist Episcopal Church, sometimes referred to as the M.E. Church, was a development of the first expression of Methodism in the United States. It officially began at the Baltimore Christmas Conference in 1784, with Francis Asbury and Thomas Coke as the first bishops. Through a series of...
chaplain
Chaplain
Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
, missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
and plant collector
Plant collecting
Plant collecting involves procuring live or dried plant specimens, for the purposes of research, cultivation or as a hobby.-Collection of live specimens:...
who served and worked in South East Asia and elsewhere. He was born in the rugged western English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
county of Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
. Later, his family migrated to Williamsport, Pennsylvania
Williamsport, Pennsylvania
Williamsport is a city in and the county seat of Lycoming County, Pennsylvania in the United States. In 2009, the population was estimated at 29,304...
, and then moved to Eichelsburg, Pennsylvania. His father was a Cornish iron miner, Charles Clemens, and his mother, Mary Jane James Clemens. Joe was the only one of five brothers who did not follow the family tradition and become a miner. He also had a sister.
Education
In 1890, at the age of 28, he entered Dickinson CollegeDickinson College
Dickinson College is a private, residential liberal arts college in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Originally established as a Grammar School in 1773, Dickinson was chartered September 9, 1783, five days after the signing of the Treaty of Paris, making it the first college to be founded in the newly...
in Carlisle, Pennsylvania
Carlisle, Pennsylvania
Carlisle is a borough in and the county seat of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The name is traditionally pronounced with emphasis on the second syllable. Carlisle is located within the Cumberland Valley, a highly productive agricultural region. As of the 2010 census, the borough...
after probable preparation at the Williamsport Seminary
Seminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
, which was a secondary school and a source of Dickinson students at the time. While at Dickinson, Joseph took the basic courses and studied to be a missionary. Among his courses of study were Dutch, German, Greek, Latin, and Hebrew, as well as Physics, Chemistry, Analytical Geometry, Political Economics, English Literature and Psychology. While at Dickinson, he was a member of the Sigma-Phi chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon
Sigma Alpha Epsilon
Sigma Alpha Epsilon is a North American Greek-letter social college fraternity founded at the University of Alabama on March 9, 1856. Of all existing national social fraternities today, Sigma Alpha Epsilon is the only one founded in the Antebellum South...
, and he wrote one of the yearly histories for the fraternity. He was the treasurer for the Union Philosophical Society and exhibited his religious zeal by being the treasurer of the Dickinson Prohibition Club. He played in the College orchestra and sang in the College choir. He was also a member of the Democratic committee at the college YMCA and the class poet.
Pointing to his eventual missionary status, he was a member of the Missionary department at the College YMCA and the corresponding secretary of the Williamsport Seminary Club. While at Dickinson, he passed most of his time with his involvement in his many activities4. He also played checkers, wrote letters to friends, acquaintances, family, church, and, of course, to his fiancé, Mary Knop Strong
Mary Strong Clemens
Mary Strong Clemens was an American botanist and plant collector. Born in New York as Mary Knapp Strong, she married Joseph Clemens, a Methodist Episcopalian minister, in 1892. Throughout her life she collected plants assiduously, mainly in Asia, New Guinea and Australia...
of Muncy County, and studied. Many of his weekends were spent traveling to Williamsport to spend time with Mary.
Missionary work
After graduation, from 1894-1901 Clemens was a pastor for the Central Pennsylvania Methodist Episcopal Conference. In 1896 he married Mary. In 1901 he decided to serve his country and became a chaplain in the United States Army. After his commissioning, he was sent almost directly to HawaiiHawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
with the Fifteenth Infantry.
From Hawaii, he was moved to the new American possession of the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, recently wrested from the Spanish in the Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
. One of his tasks there was to bring "civilization" to the natives through missionary service. During one of his first services, on April 13, 1902, more than a hundred locals attended. After that, he held weekly services at the camp. His numbers of interested natives fluctuated; on April 20, for example, there were 50 natives in attendance, though the following week the number went back up to 75. Also, in 1902, while in Samar
Samar
Samar, formerly and also known as Western Samar, is a province in the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. Its capital is Catbalogan City and covers the western portion of Samar as well as several islands in the Samar Sea located to the west of the mainland...
, he helped to wipe out a cholera epidemic threatening all there. In 1905, he and Mary made the voyage to Mindanao
Mindanao
Mindanao is the second largest and easternmost island in the Philippines. It is also the name of one of the three island groups in the country, which consists of the island of Mindanao and smaller surrounding islands. The other two are Luzon and the Visayas. The island of Mindanao is called The...
, where Joseph not only continued his missionary practice, but he also began a botanical study with his wife.
In 1918 Joseph was forced to retire from the military due to an injury in the line of duty. He was also by then fifty-six years of age. Afterwards, inspired by his own missions experience, he spent five months lecturing in Pennsylvania in small towns, factories, schools and churches. With the money he earned there, he endowed Dickinson seminary and support missions.
Not having received their fill of traveling, the Clemens' returned to the Philippines in 1922. There, he spent six and one half years doing evangelical work in Luzon
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...
. During this time, he baptized 16,000 people.
Botanical collecting
Joseph began to learn botany at his wife's prodding. She learned the study of flora after she gave up her dreams of being a musician. In 1915, while living in a mission camp and continuing to preach to the natives, Joseph and Mary made their first study together at Mount KinabaluMount Kinabalu
Mount Kinabalu is a prominent mountain on the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. It is located in the East Malaysian state of Sabah and is protected as Kinabalu National Park, a World Heritage Site. Kinabalu is the tallest peak in Borneo's Crocker Range and is the tallest mountain in the Malay...
in North Borneo
North Borneo
North Borneo was a British protectorate under the sovereign North Borneo Chartered Company from 1882 to 1946. After the war it became a crown colony of Great Britain from 1946 to 1963, known in this time as British North Borneo. It is located on the northeastern end of the island of Borneo. It is...
. In a period of six weeks they found and documented 101 new species of plants. In July 1931 he and his wife moved onward, leaving Luzon and the Philippines for Borneo again. There they began a plant collecting expedition which was later commissioned by the British Museum.
Still having a soft spot for Dickinson College, he and Mary created the Joseph and Mary Strong Clemens Scholarship Fund for students of Dickinson who are studying the ministry of the Methodist Episcopal Church. In that same year, 1934, he and Mary had an article about them published in the Manila Bulletin
Manila Bulletin
The Manila Bulletin , is the Philippines' largest broadsheet newspaper by circulation, followed by the Philippine Daily Inquirer. It bills itself as "The Nation's Leading Newspaper", which is its official slogan...
, celebrating the advances that they have made in the botanical sciences. Meanwhile, he maintained contacts with his limestone alma mater half a world away, writing a letter to the College in 1935 that became an article in the Dickinson Alumnus. It describes one of his trips to the Islands, and his impressions of the natives he found there.
Death
Joseph's remarkable life burnt out on 21 January 1936, some weeks after his seventy-third birthday. He died in New GuineaNew Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
from food poisoning contracted from eating contaminated wild boar meat. The College Alumni Magazine paid tribute in a respectful obituary in May of that year. The couple had never had any children, and Mary spent the rest of her life, from the outbreak of war
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in the Pacific when she was evacuated from New Guinea, in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, most of it working at the Queensland Herbarium
Queensland Herbarium
The Queensland Herbarium is situated at the Brisbane Botanic Gardens, Mount Coot-tha, in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is part of Queensland’s Environmental Protection Agency...
. Upon the discovery of his diaries, she donated them to the Dickinson College archives.
Achievements
Joseph Clemens was one of many from the Dickinson family who traveled abroad spreading the knowledge gained within the old gray walls to the farthest points in the world. During most of the early years of the College, the vast majority of these students were Methodist and Presbyterian missionaries who sought to spread western ideas to the "less fortunate." Clemens, even if completely in this tradition, engaged his world also as a soldier for a United States making its own first move towards international power. Finally, the curiosity he had exhibited his whole life made him the perfect scientific partner for an impressive woman botanical pioneer. Joseph Clemens, all in all, serves as a fascinating example of the historical moment when Dickinsonians so engaged the world.See also
- Mary Strong ClemensMary Strong ClemensMary Strong Clemens was an American botanist and plant collector. Born in New York as Mary Knapp Strong, she married Joseph Clemens, a Methodist Episcopalian minister, in 1892. Throughout her life she collected plants assiduously, mainly in Asia, New Guinea and Australia...