Priscilla Ferguson Clement, 73, history professor

Priscilla Ferguson Clement, 73, of Wallingford, a history professor at Pennsylvania State University, died Wednesday, May 6, of pancreatic cancer at her home.

Born in Long Beach, Calif., she graduated from Stanford University in 1964 with a degree in history. That same year she married John Stokes Clement 3d. After moving to Pennsylvania, she began teaching at Penn State Delaware County and cofounded a women's studies program for that campus.

In 1977, Dr. Clement completed a doctorate at the University of Pennsylvania. Earlier, she earned a master's degree from Penn.

She was recognized as teacher of the year at Penn State Delaware County in 1974 and 1990. In 1991, Dr. Clement was awarded the Lindback Award for distinguished teaching. She retired in 2008.

In addition to teaching, Dr. Clement was a writer. She authored scholarly books on children and poverty: Growing Pains: Children in the Industrial Age, 1850-1890, and Welfare and the Poor in the Nineteenth-Century City: Philadelphia, 1800-1854.

In 2001, she coauthored Boyhood in America: An Encyclopedia, which explored the influence of children on American culture and the attitudes of adults toward boys.

Later, she wrote Blood on the Path: A Mystery Novel, set in Eagles Mere, Pa., her summer vacation spot. The book received reviews online as excellent beach reading.

Dr. Clement enjoyed photography, travel, theater, and spending time with friends and family. She also gave tours at the Brandywine River Museum. Her children remembered her as "a brilliant teacher and loving mother and grandmother, who encouraged them to pursue their own interests in life."

Besides her husband, she is survived by daughters Jennifer and Laura, and a son, Andrew.

A memorial service is to be at 1 p.m. Saturday, May 16, at Media Presbyterian Church, 30 E. Baltimore Ave., Media. Burial was private.

Donations may be made to Brandywine River Museum, Box 141, Chadds Ford, Pa. 19317.