For the Philadelphia financier, see Clarence Howard Clark

Clarence Howard Clark

Clarence Howard Clark, Sr. was an influential banker, land owner, and developer in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 1916, ten years after his death, the New York Times called him one of the city's "most prominent men of his day."...

Clarence Munroe Clark (August 27, 1859 - June 29, 1937) was an American tennis

Tennis

Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...

 player active near the end of the 19th century.

Biography

Born in Germantown, Pennsylvania

Germantown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Germantown is a neighborhood in the northwest section of the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, about 7–8 miles northwest from the center of the city...

, he was part of a distinguished family from Philadelphia. In 1881, he became the first secretary of the recently-formed United States Lawn Tennis Association. This same year he won the first doubles tournament

1881 U.S. National Championships (tennis)

-Final: Richard D. Sears defeated William E. Glyn 6-0, 6-3, 6-2...

 in the U.S. National Championships (later called the U.S. Open), playing with Frederick Winslow Taylor

Frederick Winslow Taylor

Frederick Winslow Taylor was an American mechanical engineer who sought to improve industrial efficiency. He is regarded as the father of scientific management and was one of the first management consultants...

, after defeating first the favored Richard Sears/James Dwight, and in the final round, Alexander van Rensselaer/Arthur Newbold (6-5, 6-4, 6-5). In 1882

1882 U.S. National Championships (tennis)

Richard D. Sears defeated Clarence M. Clark 6-1 6-4 6-0...

, he reached the singles final of the championships, where he lost to the reigning champion Sears (6-1, 6-4, 6-0).

He married the sister of his doubles partner, Taylor, who would go on to a noted career as an engineer and organizational theorist.

Clark endowed a professorship in Mountain Agriculture at Berea College

Berea College

Berea College is a liberal arts work college in Berea, Kentucky , founded in 1855. Current full-time enrollment is 1,514 students...

.

He died on June 29, 1937, at his home, Cedron (house), in Germantown, Philadelphia.

Legacy

He was inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame in 1983, joining his brother Joseph Clark

Joseph Clark (tennis)

Joseph Sill Clark, Sr. was a champion American tennis player. Clark won 1885 U.S. National Championship in doubles, partnering with Dick Sears. He was also the inaugural singles and doubles national collegiate champion, in 1883...

, who was inducted in 1955.

External links

• International Tennis Hall of Fame