Born and raised in a tobacco-farming family in Warren County, North Carolina, since age 9, Clark devoted his 4-H project work to entomology – especially the study and control of crop pests, not collecting insects. Winning state and national project scholarships, he majored in English at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, enjoyed a successful academic career, and remained active in 4-H Honor Club. As a member of Phi Eta Sigma, Phi Beta Kappa, and Order of the Golden Fleece at UNC, he attended Duke University on a Woodrow Wilson Fellowship. Dr. Clark earned an English MA and Ph.D. and got a tenure-track appointment in English at NC State University, the campus that had fostered his success as an active 4-H’.
Dr. Clark volunteered often in the statewide 4-H program. After 1986, in addition to his appointment in English, he led the nation’ first statewide Humanities Extension/Publications Program. A feature of this were summer writing camps in partnership with county 4–H agents. Since retiring in 2005, he has researched, preserved, and written 4-H history, especially a second edition of his 1984 book, Clover All Over: NC 4-H in Action and helped establish the NC 4-H History and Learning Center at Camp Millstone. Dr. Clark’ humanities discipline and 4-H leadership experiences placed him in a variety of statewide cultural and historical organizations as an officer and board member.
