Edgar Erastus Clark (February 18, 1856 – December 1, 1930) was an American attorney, railway union official, and government employee. The chief executive of the
Order of Railway Conductors
The Order of Railway Conductors of America (ORC) was a labor union that represented train conductors in the United States. It has its origins in the Conductors Union founded in 1868. Later it extended membership to brakemen. In 1969 the ORC merg ...
for more than 15 years, Clark served on the
Interstate Commerce Commission
The Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) was a regulatory agency in the United States created by the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887. The agency's original purpose was to regulate railroads (and later Trucking industry in the United States, truc ...
from 1906 to 1921, and was its chairman from 1913 to 1914 and 1918 to 1921.
Railway career
Edgar E. Clark was born in
Lima, New York
Lima (, the name is a shibboleth) is a town in Livingston County, New York, United States. The population was 4,154 at the 2020 census. The town is in the northeast part of the county, south of Rochester. The village of Lima is located withi ...
, on February 18, 1856. His father died when he was six, leaving him to be raised by his mother.
[
Clark attended school at the ]Genesee Wesleyan Seminary The Genesee Wesleyan Seminary was the name of two institutions located on the same site in Lima, New York.
The Genesee Wesleyan Seminary was founded in 1831 by the Genesee Annual Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church after the Conference ...
, remaining there until 1872. After leaving school, Clark headed west in search of work and adventure, landing in Austin, Minnesota
Austin is a city in and the county seat of Mower County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 26,174 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The town was originally settled along the Cedar River (Iowa River), Cedar River and has ...
, where he found a job as a brakeman on the Burlington, Cedar Rapids, and Northern Railway.
Clark attended Williams College
Williams College is a Private college, private liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Williamstown, Massachusetts, United States. It was established as a men's college in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim ...
. He would later receive a law degree.
In 1876 he moved along to points still further west, settling in Ogden, Utah
Ogden ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Weber County, Utah, Weber County, Utah, United States, approximately east of the Great Salt Lake and north of Salt Lake City. The population was 87,321 in 2020, according to the United States Census ...
, which would become his hometown.
Clark married the former Lavinia Jenkins, of Ogden, Utah, in September 1880. The couple would have four children during their first ten years of marriage, two girls and two boys. Clark took a position on the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad
The Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad , often shortened to ''Rio Grande'', D&RG or D&RGW, formerly the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad, was an American Class I railroad company. The railroad started as a narrow-gauge line running south fr ...
, winning promotion from brakeman to railroad conductor
A conductor (North American English) or guard (Commonwealth English) is a train crew member responsible for operational and safety duties that do not involve actual operation of the train/locomotive. The role is common worldwide under various j ...
in 1884.
Clark became active in the Order of Railway Conductors
The Order of Railway Conductors of America (ORC) was a labor union that represented train conductors in the United States. It has its origins in the Conductors Union founded in 1868. Later it extended membership to brakemen. In 1969 the ORC merg ...
(ORC), the fraternal benefit society of conductors, and was elected Grand Senior Conductor of the ORC at its annual convention in Denver
Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...
in 1888. In 1890 became Grand Chief Conductor, the chief executive of the Order. Clark would hold that position until 1906.
He was succeeded as president on September 1, 1906, by Austin B. Garretson.
Governmental career
Clark involved himself in lobbying, and received credit for the 1898 enactment of a Mediation and Arbitration Act, which provided for a permanent board to settle disputes between railways and their employees. In 1902, President Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt Jr. (October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), also known as Teddy or T.R., was the 26th president of the United States, serving from 1901 to 1909. Roosevelt previously was involved in New York (state), New York politics, incl ...
, apparently impressed by a speech he had given to a railwaymen's convention which Roosevelt had attended, named Clark (a Republican in politics) to the Coal Arbitration Commission to settle an ongoing strike, an appointment which excited considerable comment.
In 1906, Roosevelt nominated Clark to one of two new seats on the Interstate Commerce Commission created by the Hepburn Act
The Hepburn Act is a 1906 United States federal law that expanded the jurisdiction of the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) and gave it the power to set maximum railroad rates. This led to the discontinuation of free passes to loyal shippers. ...
. Clark received a recess appointment
In the United States, a recess appointment is an appointment by the President of the United States, president of a Officer of the United States, federal official when the United States Senate, U.S. Senate is in Recess (motion), recess. Under the ...
from Roosevelt and was sworn in on July 31, 1906. He was confirmed by the Senate on December 13, 1906. President William Howard Taft
William Howard Taft (September 15, 1857March 8, 1930) served as the 27th president of the United States from 1909 to 1913 and the tenth chief justice of the United States from 1921 to 1930. He is the only person to have held both offices. ...
attempted to reappoint Clark, but his confirmation was held up in a dispute between the lame-duck President and Congress after the 1912 elections, with the Senate determined to deny Taft any further appointments. Nonetheless, Clark was immediately reappointed as Commissioner by the new President, Woodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was the 28th president of the United States, serving from 1913 to 1921. He was the only History of the Democratic Party (United States), Democrat to serve as president during the Prog ...
, on March 5, 1913, and was confirmed by the Senate the same day. The following day, the ICC commissioners elected Clark as chairman, filling out the remainder of the one-year term which had been left vacant by the resignation of ICC Chairman Franklin Knight Lane
Franklin Knight Lane (July 15, 1864 – May 18, 1921) was an American progressive politician from California. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as United States Secretary of the Interior from 1913 to 1920. He also served as a comm ...
, who had been confirmed as Secretary of the Interior Secretary of the Interior may refer to:
* Secretary of the Interior (Mexico)
* Interior Secretary of Pakistan
* Secretary of the Interior and Local Government (Philippines)
* United States Secretary of the Interior
See also
*Interior ministry ...
.
In 1918, Clark was again elected Commission chairman. While the chairmanship had been rotating, in view of Clark's long service, the practice was abandoned, and Clark remained chairman until his 1921 resignation.
Later life
In 1921, Clark resigned from the Commission to enter the practice of commercial law. It was stated that the reasons for his resignation were to alleviate the stress of his position, and to make provision for his family.
In 1929, Clark retired from the firm of Clark & Laroe and in June moved to Monrovia, California
Monrovia is a city in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains in the San Gabriel Valley of Los Angeles County, California, United States. Monrovia is the fourth-oldest General-law municipality, general-law city in Los Angeles County and the L ...
, where he died on December 1, 1930, leaving a widow, Agnes Clark, and three sons and three daughters.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Clark, Edgar E.
People of the Interstate Commerce Commission
1856 births
1930 deaths
Williams College alumni
People from Dupont Circle
Presidents of the Order of Railway Conductors
Trade unionists from New York (state)
People from Lima, New York