Phyllis Dixon Clemmons

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]

Phyllis Dixon married Alvin Earl Clemmons in 1956.^[8] They had two children. Clemmons died in 2013, aged 85 years.^[7]