Phyllis Dixon Clemmons
Phyllis Dixon Clemmons | |
|---|---|
| Born | Phyllis Dixon August 13, 1927 Apollo, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | June 9, 2013 (aged 85) |
| Occupation(s) | Nurse, missionary, federal official |
| Known for | Federal Woman's Award (1972) |
Phyllis K. Dixon Clemmons (August 13, 1927 – June 9, 2013) was an American psychiatric nurse, missionary, and federal official. She won the Federal Woman's Award in 1972, for her work on suicide prevention and mental health programs in the District of Columbia.
Early life
Phyllis Dixon was born in Apollo, Pennsylvania, the daughter of Frederick Dixon and Cornelia Cochran Dixon. She graduated from Apollo High School in 1945, and earned a nursing degree in 1948, at Mercy Hospital in Philadelphia.[1]
Career
Clemmons was a registered nurse. She was a member of the United States Cadet Nurse Corps immediately after World War II.[2] She began working at St. Elizabeths Hospital in 1949. In 1962 she was a psychiatric nurse at D.C. General Hospital. She was director of the Suicide Prevention and Emergency Mental Health Consultation Service in the District of Columbia. She started a walk-in clinic, a mobile clinic, and a telephone helpline,[3] and her efforts were credited with contributing to lowering the suicide rate in the city.[1]
Clemmons's work was recognized by the American Psychiatric Association, and she won the Federal Woman's Award in 1972,[4] "for singular professional competence and qualities of human understanding".[5][6]
Clemmons traveled to 31 countries as a medical missionary with Doris Loughlin. Later in life, she worked in addiction counseling in Johnstown, Pennsylvania.[7]
Personal life
Phyllis Dixon married Alvin Earl Clemmons in 1956.[8] They had two children. Clemmons died in 2013, aged 85 years.[7]
References
- ^ a b Federal Woman's Award, News Release, dated February 24, 1972.
- ^ U.S., World War II Cadet Nursing Corps Card Files, 1942-1948, via Ancestry.
- ^ Crawford, Clare (1965-10-26). "The Call Came in at 4:30 A.M.; 'It's Hopeless--Nothing Left for Me to Do". The Washington Daily News. p. 22. Retrieved 2025-08-17 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Adler, Wendy (1972-02-24). "Winning Without Lib". The Washington Daily News. p. 28. Retrieved 2025-08-17 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Jones, Dorothy B. "The Federal Woman's Award 1972". Civil Service Journal. 13: 23.
- ^ "Federal Woman's Award to 6". Equal Opportunity in Federal Employment. 4 (6): 4. April–May 1972.
- ^ a b "Phyllis D. Clemmons Obituary". The Washington Post, via Legacy.com. June 18, 2013. Retrieved 2022-02-02.
- ^ "Marriage License Applications". Evening Star. 1956-12-16. p. 40. Retrieved 2025-08-17 – via Newspapers.com.