Two older men standing next to a large silver and black smoker grill. The man on the left is wearing a maroon shirt and jeans and the man on the right it wearing a tshirt and shorts. They are both giving a thumbs up.

When Jay ’80 and Cathy Clements realized the state-of-the-art smoker sitting in their garage deserved more use, they began thinking about where it could make the greatest impact.

The answer brought them back to Texas A&M.

Jay recently donated the smoker to the Texas A&M Department of Animal Science, where students will put it to work through meat science courses and hands-on learning opportunities.

“Having it just under the cover of my garage didn’t seem like a very good use of it,” Jay said. “It finally came to me that the A&M folks could probably figure out how to use that in their barbecue class.”

Finding new ways to support students

The smoker represents the latest chapter in the Clements’ long history of supporting Texas A&M students.

Jay graduated from Texas A&M in 1980 with a degree in philosophy, while his wife graduated from Purdue University. Their connection to the Department of Animal Science grew as the couple became involved in agriculture later in life.

They attended the Beef Cattle Short Course, participated in Beef 706 and took advantage of equine educational opportunities as they learned more about ranching. Over the years, they also supported the Texas A&M Ranch Horse Team and other student programs. They have even donated horses to the department’s breeding program.

“We’ve been kind of connected in a lot of different ways,” Jay said. “It’s just something we do.”

For the Clements, those connections ultimately come back to students.

“I think supporting young people is always a good thing to do,” he said. “It’s just fun watching the young people as they mature coming through A&M.”

A gift designed to be used

Jay originally purchased the smoker at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo several years ago for large gatherings at his ranch. When he found himself using it less than expected, he wanted to put the equipment somewhere it could serve a greater purpose.

Now, instead of sitting under cover, the smoker will give animal science students another tool for learning about meat preparation, cooking and barbecue.

The gift also reflects Jay’s advice to students to make the most of their time at Texas A&M.

“Take advantage of everything that the university allows, not just the courses,” Jay said. “There is more to the university than that and football.”

Through gifts both large and small, the Clements family continues to create opportunities for students to learn by doing and experience everything Texas A&M has to offer.

How to give

The Texas A&M Foundation manages gifts to the Department of Animal Science. Contributions of any size are welcome.

For more information, contact Jansen Merrill ’18 at 979-431-4148 or [email protected].