William Smith Clark

Background

William Smith Clark was born on July 31, 1826 in the town of Ashfield, Massachusetts, United States. He was the son of Dr. Atherton and Harriet (Smith) Clark.

Education

Clark received his early education in Ashfield, Massachusetts and at Williston Seminary, Easthampton. Graduating from Amherst College in 1848, he returned to Williston Seminary, where he taught the natural sciences from 1848 to 1850. He then went abroad and for the next two years devoted himself to the study of chemistry and botany at Gottingen, receiving from that university the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in 1852.

Career

On the outbreak of the Civil War Clark hastened to offer his services in the field, and in August 1861 received a commission as major in the 21st Massachusetts Volunteers. A born leader of men, he was quickly promoted lieutenant-colonel in February 1862 and colonel in May 1862, and was recommended by General Burnside “for a well-deserved promotion’’ as brigadier-general in September of the same year, he took part in many engagements.

At the battle of Chantilly, losing his way and becoming separated from his regiment, accompanied by only a handful of men, he was surrounded by the Confederates and ordered to surrender. Rather than encounter the horrors of Andersonville or Libby, a desperate effort was made to escape, but all were shot down except himself.

Bullets whistled through his cap and clothing, but unhurt he reached the cover of the woods, and lay concealed within the enemy’s lines for three days, suffering from hunger and exposure, until finally he reached the Union forces in safety, and was welcomed as one returned from the dead, for he had been reported among the fallen.

After his military service was over, he returned to his professorship at Amherst, and was also a presidential elector and secretary of the electoral college in 1864, and a representative to the General Court in 1864, 1865, and 1867. In the latter year he accepted the presidency of the Massachusetts Agricultural College. This and the professorship of botany and horticulture he held from 1867 to 1879. Since he was a forceful and persuasive speaker, it was largely owing to his efforts in town meeting and in the General Court that Amherst was selected as the seat of the Massachusetts Agricultural College. He was virtually its first president, as his predecessors, French and Chadbourne, had been able to do little more than take the initiatory steps. It was left for Clark therefore to organize and establish the new college, and during his administration it greatly prospered.

While still connected with the Massachusetts Agricultural College, he was invited by the Japanese government to establish and organize the Imperial College of Agriculture, at Sapporo, Japan, and during the years (1876 - 1877) of his residence there continued to preside over the interests of both colleges. He then became interested in the project of a “floating college, ” and being made president, bent all his energies during the next two years to develop the scheme of uniting scientific study with a tour around the world. This enterprise, owing to the death of its originator, was abandoned.

Clark subsequently engaged in mining operations, but these proved disastrous to himself and others. The author of several chemical papers in Liebig’s Annalen in 1851 and 1852, he contributed not a few articles to the reports of the Massachusetts State Board of Agriculture, and also published a monograph on The Phenomena of Plant Life (1875), a work in which he received valuable aid from the investigations of two of his colleagues, Prof. Peabody and Dr. Goessmann.

Achievements

• William Smith Clark became prominent as a leader in agricultural education. He made the great contribution to the development of Massachusetts Agricultural College and helped organize Sapporo Agricultural School in Japan. He was also instrumental in the development of a Christian movement in Japan.

Works

More photos

• book

  • Boyle, Roger; Clark, II, William Smith: The Dramatic Works of Roger Boyle, Earl of Orrery. Volume 2
  • Boyle, Roger; Clark, II, William Smith: The Dramatic Works of Roger Boyle, Earl of Orrery. Volume 1

Connections

Clark was married on May 25, 1853, to Harrietta Keopuolani Richards, daughter of the Reverend William Richards, of the Sandwich Islands, and adopted daughter of Honorary Samuel Williston of Easthampton.

He had eleven children, eight of whom survived him.

Father:

Atherton Clark

Mother:

Harriet (Smith) Clark

Spouse:

Harrietta Keopuolani Richards

References

• Education and Modernization in Asia
• Encyclopedia of Christianity in the United States (5 Volume Set)