07/20/2005
Kenneth Raymond Clark, 96, a resident of Chicago and former resident of Cedar Rapids,
died July 20, 2005 at the Northwestern Memorial Hospital of an apparent ruptured aneurysm.
Surviving is a nephew, James R. Clark of Victoria, Texas. Clark is also survived
by Emma, a dedicated caregiver who provided assistance during the last phase of
his life.
He was born Feb. 6, 1909, in Knoxville to Lawrence and Jennie (VerPloeg) Clark and
grew up on a farm in the Knoxville area. He enrolled at Coe College in the fall
of 1926. Four years later, after accumulating numerous academic honors, Clark graduated
from Coe. He went on to earn his LL.B at Columbia University in 1933 and a master's
degree in law from the University of Michigan in 1935. The same year, Clark was
admitted to the Illinois Bar and began his practice in Chicago, launching a career
which extended more than 55 years.
Clark established a distinguished national reputation as an authority on profit
sharing, pension plans, insurance and annuity programs, and charitable giving. In
addition to his legal practice and his legal scholarship, Clark was a lecturer in
business law at Northwestern University and taught law at John Marshall Law School.
During World War II, he served his country as a captain in the United States Army.
A highly successful estate attorney during his career, Clark structured his own
estate so that a large portion of it would be passed to Coe College following his
death. Over the years, he became the college's preeminent benefactor by contributing
more than $16 million to his alma mater.
Clark's gratitude and loyalty to Coe have
been evidenced by his service as a member of Coe's Board of Trustees since 1966
and by his unparalleled record of personal giving to the institution.
Most notably,
Clark provided funding for the Clark Racquet Center and Clark Field, the first large scale facilities on Coe's east campus, in 1989.
Clark also funded the construction of Clark Alumni House in 1993. The Clark
Merit Awards, funded in perpetuity by Clark, have provided tution for 10 students to attend Coe
each year since 1996.
Most recently, Clark provided an endowment for the establishment of the Coe College
Contemporary Issues Forum, which brings to audiences of the college the presence
and views of distinguished professionals whose work has received national recognition.
The inaugural speaker was President George H.W. Bush in 2003, followed by former
Poland President Lech Walesa in 2004 and deep sea explorer Robert Ballard in 2005.
Interestingly, Clark never participated in college athletics, but had a love for
sports, especially tennis and skiing. The interest in tennis sparked his desire
to build Clark Racquet Center.
During the dedication ceremonies in 1989, Clark played a demonstration match with
tennis great Billie Jean King.