Clarice Cross Bagwell (December 15, 1914 – September 26, 2001) was an American educator and activist. She was the first woman in Georgia to serve as forewoman of a

grand jury A grand jury is a jury—a group of citizens—empowered by law to conduct legal proceedings, investigate potential criminal conduct, and determine whether criminal charges should be brought. A grand jury may subpoena physical evidence or a pe ...

, as well as one of the first special education teachers in the state of Georgia and the first in

DeKalb County DeKalb County may refer to one of several counties in the United States, all of which were named for Baron Johan DeKalb: * DeKalb County, Alabama * DeKalb County, Georgia * DeKalb County, Illinois * DeKalb County, Indiana * DeKalb County, Missouri ...

. She studied at Georgia State University, the University of Georgia, and West Georgia College. Bagwell also was president of the Georgia Parent Teacher Association and sat on the

board of directors A board of directors (commonly referred simply as the board) is an executive committee that jointly supervises the activities of an organization, which can be either a for-profit or a nonprofit organization such as a business, nonprofit organiz ...

of the national PTA. Working for the PTA's Committee on International Relations, she visited Canada, Japan, Switzerland, and the USSR on goodwill and outreach missions. Bagwell was born on December 15, 1914 in Pickens County, Georgia. She married chemist and teacher Leland Horace Bagwell, sometime after 1930. They had two children, David Leland Bagwell and Thomas Nathan Bagwell. Leland was the founder and CEO of American Proteins, founded in 1949 as the North Georgia Rendering Company; after his death in 1972 she became the company's chairman of the board and co-owner and ran it alongside their son, Tommy Bagwell. American Proteins would become the largest poultry renderer in the country before being purchased by Tyson Foods in 2018 for $850million. Bagwell never took a salary for her work. Despite not being an alumni, Bagwell was a strong supporter of Kennesaw State University, where she served as a trustee for 18 years, was in charge of the KSU Foundation's Special Projects Committee, and in 1997 received the first honorary doctorate of humane letters bestowed by the school. In 1996, the Bagwell family-owned American Proteins donated $2million worth of land, in

Bartow County Bartow County is located in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 108,901, up from 100,157 in 2010. The county seat is Cartersville. Traditionally considered part of northwest Georgia, B ...

, to the KSU Foundation, its largest gift at the time; the university's

Bagwell College of Education Kennesaw State University (KSU) is a public research university located in the state of Georgia with two different campuses in the Atlanta metropolitan area, one in Kennesaw and the other in Marietta on a combined of land. The school was f ...

is named in both her and her husband's honor, and the KSU Foundation's Bagwell Medal for Distinguished Service, established in 1991, is named after Clarice. Additionally, Bagwell was a charter member of the

Georgia Conservancy The Georgia Conservancy is a non-profit environmental organization in the U.S. state of Georgia that collaborates, advocates, and educates to protect Georgia's natural environment. It was founded in 1967. Called "the state's most influential envi ...

, the

Georgia Federation of Business Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to th ...

, and the

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; was appointed by three governors to Georgia's

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; initiated Cherokee County's first roadside park program along SR20; and served as president of the

Georgia Legislative Forum Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to th ...

and a chairperson on the National Council on Crime and Delinquency. Bagwell received commendations from the

American Cancer Society The American Cancer Society (ACS) is a nationwide voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer. Established in 1913, the society is organized into six geographical regions of both medical and lay volunteers operating in more than ...

, the Community Concert Association, and the Heart Association. In March 2020, Bagwell was added to the Georgia Women of Achievement Hall of Fame. Clarice Bagwell died on September 26, 2001 in Cumming, Georgia at the age of 86.

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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bagwell, Clarice 1914 births 2001 deaths American educators Kennesaw State University people Georgia State University alumni University of Georgia alumni University of West Georgia alumni