Clarence Don Clark is Born

Today in Masonic History Clarence Don Clark is born in 1851.

Clarence Don Clark was an American politician.

Clark was born on April 16th, 1851 in Sandy Creek, New York. He attended the University of Iowa where he studied law. After graduation he passed the bar in 1874. He began practicing law and teaching in Manchester, Iowa.

In 1881, Clark moved his family to Evanston, Wyoming where he continued to practice law. In 1882 he became the county attorney for Uinta County. He held the position until 1884.

In 1889, Clark was a delegate to the Wyoming Constitutional Convention. In 1890 he was elected as a Republican to the United States House of Representatives. He served there until 1893, having lost his reelection bid in 1892.

In a special election, Clark was elected in 1895 to fill a vacancy for a United States Senate seat. He served until 1917, three terms not counting the original partial term, until he lost his reelection in 1916. After losing his reelection he began practicing law in Washington, D.C.

In 1919, Clark was appointed to the International Joint Commission. The joint commission was setup between the United States and Canada, its purpose is to help prevent and resolve disputes about the use and quality of boundary waters and to advise Canada and the United States on questions about water resources. He was the chairman of the commission from 1923 to 1929 when he retired.

After retiring he returned to Evanston, Wyoming where he passed away on November 18th, 1930.

Clark was a member of Evanston Lodge No. 4 in Evanston, Wyoming. He was also a member of Evanston Chapter No. 2, Royal Arch Masons and Albert Pike Commandery, Knights Templar both of which are in Evanston. Clark was also a member of the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite and received his 33 on October 22nd, 1897.

This article provided by Brother Eric C. Steele.