Rush Clark (October 1, 1834 – April 29, 1879) was a nineteenth-century politician and lawyer from

Iowa Iowa ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the upper Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west; Wisconsin to the northeast, Ill ...

, who died on the floor of

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...

in 1879.

Biography

Born in

Schellsburg, Pennsylvania Schellsburg is a borough in Bedford County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 330 at the 2020 census. History Schellsburg was so named after John Schell who settled and founded the community. John Schell's grandfather Michael Sch ...

, Clark attended common schools and a local academy in

Ligonier, Pennsylvania Ligonier is a Borough (Pennsylvania), borough in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,513 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Ligonier was settled in the 1760s. The borough is well known for nearby Idl ...

as a child. He graduated from Jefferson College in 1853, studied law and was admitted to the bar the same year, commencing practice in

Iowa City, Iowa Iowa City is the largest city in Johnson County, Iowa, United States, and its county seat. At the time of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census the population was 74,828, making it the state's List of cities in Iowa, fifth-most populous c ...

. He was a member of the

Iowa House of Representatives The Iowa House of Representatives is the lower house of the Iowa General Assembly, the upper house being the Iowa Senate. There are 100 seats in the Iowa House of Representatives, representing 100 single-member districts across the state, formed ...

from 1860 to 1864, serving as

Speaker of the House The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, is its presiding officer, or the chair. The title was first used in 1377 in England. Usage The title was first recorded in 1377 to describe the role of Thomas de Hung ...

in 1863 and 1864, served on the staff of

Governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...

Samuel J. Kirkwood in 1861 and 1862 and aided in the organization of volunteer regiments from

during the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

. Clark was a trustee of the

University of Iowa The University of Iowa (U of I, UIowa, or Iowa) is a public university, public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is organized int ...

from 1862 to 1866, was again a member of the Iowa House of Representatives in 1876. In 1876, he was elected as a Republican to represent

Iowa's 5th congressional district Iowa's 5th congressional district is an obsolete congressional district in the U.S. state of Iowa. It was last represented by Republican Steve King in 2013, who continued to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives after the district's obsole ...

in the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

. He was re-elected two years later. However, on April 29, 1879, near the beginning of the first session of his second term, he died suddenly on the floor of the House, reportedly suffering an attack of

meningitis Meningitis is acute or chronic inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, collectively called the meninges. The most common symptoms are fever, intense headache, vomiting and neck stiffness and occasion ...

.Obituary,
The Hon. Rush Clark
," New York Times, 1879-04-29 at p. 4. He was interred in Oakland Cemetery in Iowa City.

Personal life

He married Eugenia Orr (died April 27, 1867), who was a teacher who died giving birth to daughter Eugenia Clark Pomeroy. A previous son, Eugene Rush Clark, had died during birth in 1865. Clark married again in a few years, and to this union, several more children were born, of which two lived.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Clark, Rush 1834 births 1879 deaths Iowa lawyers Washington & Jefferson College alumni Politicians from Iowa City, Iowa Politicians from Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania People of Iowa in the American Civil War Speakers of the Iowa House of Representatives Union (American Civil War) political leaders Deaths from meningitis Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Iowa 19th-century American lawyers Neurological disease deaths in Washington, D.C. Infectious disease deaths in Washington, D.C. Republican Party members of the Iowa House of Representatives 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives 19th-century members of the Iowa General Assembly

Biography

Personal life

See also

References

External links