Walter Ernest Clark (June 9, 1873 - May 1, 1955) was president of the

University of Nevada The University of Nevada, Reno (Nevada, the University of Nevada, or UNR) is a public land-grant research university in Reno, Nevada, United States. It is the state's flagship public university and primary land grant institution. It was founded ...

1918–1938. Clark was born in

Defiance, Ohio Defiance is a city in Defiance County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. The population was 17,066 at the 2020 census. It is located at the confluence of the Auglaize and Maumee rivers about southwest of Toledo and northeast of For ...

to Lemen Talor and Marth (Robinson) Clark, and graduated from

Ohio Wesleyan University Ohio Wesleyan University (abbrevriated OWU) is a private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Delaware, Ohio, United States. It was founded in 1842 by Methodist leaders and Ohio Valley, Centra ...

in 1896. From 1893 to 1897 he was a sergeant in the signal corps of Company K, Fourth

Ohio National Guard The Ohio National Guard comprises the Ohio Army National Guard and the Ohio Air National Guard. The commander-in-chief of the Ohio Army National Guard is the List of governors of Ohio, governor of the U.S. state of Ohio. If the Ohio Army Nation ...

. And from 1896 to 1899 Clark was instructor in mathematics at Ohio Wesleyan. In 1903 Clark was awarded a Doctor of Philosophy degree from

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

. From 1901 to 1907 he was instructor in economics and politics at the College of the City of New York. Between 1903 and 1908 he was a resident and settlement worker of

Greenwich House Greenwich House is a West Village settlement house in New York City. History Greenwich House was founded on Thanksgiving Day 1902 by city planner and social worker Mary K. Simkhovitch in a building at 26 Jones Street in Manhattan's West Vill ...

, a settlement house with the mission to improve the living conditions among the predominantly immigrant population in Greenwich Village. He became professor and head of the department of political science City College from 1907 to 1918. In 1908 he married Euphemia Murray Abrams, of Hartford, Connecticut and together they had a son,

Walter Van Tilburg Clark Walter Van Tilburg Clark (August 3, 1909 – November 10, 1971) was an American novelist, short story writer, poet, and educator. He ranks as one of Nevada's most distinguished literary figures of the 20th century, and was the first inductee into ...

on August 3, 1909, in East

Orland, Maine Orland is a town in Hancock County, Maine, United States. The population was 2,221 at the 2020 census. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which is land and is water. Demographics 20 ...

. In 1918 Clark accepted the position of president at the

, and moved his family to

Reno, Nevada Reno ( ) is a city in the northwest section of the U.S. state of Nevada, along the Nevada–California border. It is the county seat and most populous city of Washoe County, Nevada, Washoe County. Sitting in the High Eastern Sierra foothills, ...

. During his time as president, the university expanded, surpassing 500 students for the first time in 1921, and 1,000 students in 1936. The School of Education was organized, as well as an Engineering Experimental Station. The Memorial Library was completed in 1927, with an approximate cost of $250,000 donated by William A. Clark in memory of his wife. Another gift of $415,000 from

Clarence Mackay Clarence Hungerford Mackay (; April 17, 1874 – November 12, 1938) was an American financier. He was chairman of the board of the Postal Telegraph and Cable Corporation and president of the Mackay Radio and Telegraph Company. Early life H ...

led to the construction of Mackay Science Hall in 1930, which housed the Departments of Chemistry, Physics, and Mathematics. Additionally donations of land by Clarence Mackay increased campus acreage by nearly fifty percent.UNR Timeline
University Libraries, University of Nevada, Reno The administration of President Clark ended on September 30, 1938, when Dr.

Leon W. Hartman Leon, Léon (French) or León (Spanish) may refer to: Places Europe * León, Spain, capital city of the Province of León * Province of León, Spain * Kingdom of León, an independent state in the Iberian Peninsula from 910 to 1230 and again fro ...

became acting president.

Works

*Clark, Walter E. 1903. ''

Josiah Tucker Josiah Tucker (also Josias) (December 1713 – 4 November 1799), also known as Dean Tucker, was a Welsh churchman, known as an economist and political writer. He was concerned in his works with free trade, Jewish emancipation and American inde ...

, economist: a study in the history of economics''. New York: Columbia University Press. *Clark, Walter E. 1915. ''The cost of living''. Chicago : A. C. McClurg & Co.

References

External links

UNR Timeline
University Libraries, University of Nevada, Reno
A Guide to the Walter Ernest Clark Journals, AC 0060
University Archive, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Reno. {{DEFAULTSORT:Clark, Walter Ernest Presidents of the University of Nevada, Reno 1873 births 1955 deaths Ohio Wesleyan University alumni Columbia University alumni Settlement workers People from Defiance, Ohio