Spence News
2025 Judith Joseph Jenkins '91 Alumna Award Recipient
The Spence School Alumnae Association proudly announces the recipient of this year’s Judith Joseph Jenkins ’91 Distinguished Alumna Award: Lee Clifford Wareham ’70, who will be celebrated at this year’s Alumnae Reunion.
Lee’s commitment to education, Spence, and our greater community is remarkable, and The Spence Alumnae Association is grateful for her many years of service to the School. Lee’s connection to Spence began nearly 80 years ago. Her mother, Cornelia Woolley Clifford ’48, was first to walk through the Red Doors, followed by Lee and her sisters, Rebecca Clifford Mailer-Howat ’73 and Jennifer Clifford Danner ’77. Lee’s daughters Ellinor Wareham ’97, Laura Wareham Tortorella ’99, and Ashley Wareham ’03 (d. August 1, 2023) became the third generation of the family to attend the School. The family’s deep ties and dedication to Spence extend to Lee’s father, Stewart B. Clifford, who served as a Trustee from 1971 to 1983 and then as Board President until 1987. Nearly a decade later, Lee’s husband Raymond (Ray) Noble Wareham joined the Board and served as President from 1996 to 2002.
Lee’s commitment to education, Spence, and our greater community is remarkable, and The Spence Alumnae Association is grateful for her many years of service to the School. Lee’s connection to Spence began nearly 80 years ago. Her mother, Cornelia Woolley Clifford ’48, was first to walk through the Red Doors, followed by Lee and her sisters, Rebecca Clifford Mailer-Howat ’73 and Jennifer Clifford Danner ’77. Lee’s daughters Ellinor Wareham ’97, Laura Wareham Tortorella ’99, and Ashley Wareham ’03 (d. August 1, 2023) became the third generation of the family to attend the School. The family’s deep ties and dedication to Spence extend to Lee’s father, Stewart B. Clifford, who served as a Trustee from 1971 to 1983 and then as Board President until 1987. Nearly a decade later, Lee’s husband Raymond (Ray) Noble Wareham joined the Board and served as President from 1996 to 2002.
Whether acting in her capacity as an alumna or an alumnae parent, Lee is consistently generous with her time, talents, and resources. From volunteering as a Reunion Co-Chair, Nominating Co-Chair for the Alumnae Association, Alumnae Class Rep, and Committee Member for the Parents of Spence Alumnae, to co-chairing the Landmark Campaign’s Alumnae Gift Committee (2002-2003) and Spence’s Capital Campaign in the early 1990s, and including Spence in her estate plans as a member of the 1892 Society, Lee’s dedication and love for Spence is abundant.
Together, Lee and Ray actively advocate for and support all-girls education. In 2023, they made a meaningful gift in honor of the life and legacy of their daughter, Ashley. The Clifford & Wareham Family Scholarship, originally established to honor Stewart Clifford’s retirement from the Board, is awarded to a deserving Grade 9 student throughout her high school experience.
Lee and Ray’s most recent investment in Spence enabled the entire Upper School to attend a performance of Suffs, produced by Jill Furman ’86. Students were buzzing about the outing for weeks. Danielle Parchment ’26 shared: “Seeing Suffs had a lasting effect on our community…[we] learned about the sacrifices of those who came before us and their bravery in ensuring we have the rights we benefit from today.” The study and celebration of prior generations reinforces the importance of giving back. Lee and her family embody these values in their relationship with Spence and beyond.
Inspired by her daughters’ experience at Spence and the supportive learning environment the school fostered, Lee went on to pursue two Master’s degrees at NYU in general and special education. She worked as a Middle School Learning Specialist at Chapin, where she remained until retirement.
Further, Lee has always been an active community member and currently sits on the Board at Goddard Riverside. She has also served on the board of the Brick Church Women’s Association and was the co-founder of the Brick Church Pioneers Program. Additionally, she was an active member of the New York Junior League, served on the Asphalt Green board, and was former Board Chair of the Stanley Isaacs Neighborhood Center. Lee is also a former Trustee and now Trustee Emeriti at Wheaton College.
As we think about teaching the skills for courageous leadership, we need look no further than to Lee to understand how to compassionately effect change in our communities. Thank you, Lee, for your decades of dedication and support.
To honor her legacy and her outstanding commitment to our community, in 2022 the Alumnae Association renamed the Distinguished Alumna Award as the Judith Joseph Jenkins ’91 Distinguished Alumna Award. From her student leadership as head of the Afro-Latina Alliance at Spence (ALAS) to her work on our Board of Trustees, Judith was a stalwart volunteer who wholeheartedly believed in the good Spence does for its students.
The Judith Joseph Jenkins ’91 Distinguished Alumna Award will be presented by the Spence Alumnae Association annually to an alumna who upholds the mission and values of our School. The recipient will serve as a role model for others through their dedication and service to Spence, professional achievement, and outstanding contributions to their field of interest.
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A K-12 independent school in New York City, The Spence School prepares a diverse community of girls and young women for the demands of academic excellence and responsible citizenship.
212-289-5940
© 2025 Spence School
212-289-5940
© 2025 Spence School
