A._James_Clark

A. James Clark

A. James Clark

American business executive and philanthropist (1927-2015)


Alfred James Clark (December 2, 1927 – March 20, 2015) was an American engineer, businessman and philanthropist. He was chairman and CEO of Clark Enterprises, Inc.,[1] headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland. The company's largest subsidiary is Clark Construction Group, LLC,[2] one of the United States' largest construction companies, founded in 1906 as the George Hyman Construction Company.

Quick Facts Born, Died ...

Early life

Clark was born on December 2, 1927, in Richmond, Virginia, US, the son of a life insurance salesman father. He grew up in Bethesda, Maryland.[3]

Clark was a 1950 graduate of the University of Maryland, College Park, where he was a member of Phi Delta Theta.[4]

Career

In 1950, he was hired by the George Hyman Construction Company. In 1969, he became president. In 1977, he formed OMNI Construction, a double-breasted subsidiary.[5][6]

In addition to being an engineer and business executive, Clark served as a university trustee emeritus at Johns Hopkins University.[citation needed]

Philanthropy

Clark has given to the University of Maryland, College Park's School of Engineering, which now bears his name.

He established the A. James Clark Engineering Scholars program at the University of Virginia,[7] George Washington University,[8] Duke University, Vanderbilt University, Penn State and Virginia Tech.

He donated $10 million toward the construction of the Johns Hopkins University building, "Clark Hall," which is the cornerstone of the Decker Quadrangle. His construction company served as general contractor for the building, which was named in his honor.[9] Also at Johns Hopkins University, He sponsored the Clark Scholars Program to fund undergraduate scholarships with a focus on leadership and service learning.[10]

On October 4, 2017, it was announced the University of Maryland would receive almost $220 million from the A. James and Alice B. Clark Foundation.[11]

Personal life

In 1950, Clark married Alice Bratton.[3] They had three children and lived in Vero Beach, Florida.[12] He died of congestive heart failure in 2015.[3]

Awards and honors

  • Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement (1987)[13]
  • The University of Maryland honorary doctor of engineering degree, the Distinguished Engineering Alumnus Award, and induction into the University of Maryland Alumni Association’s Hall of Fame[14]

References

  1. "About Us". Clarkenterprisesinc.com. Archived from the original on 2016-02-29. Retrieved 2017-01-27.
  2. "Clark Construction Group - Building and Civil Construction". Clarkconstruction.com. Retrieved 2017-01-27.
  3. Bernstein, Adam (20 March 2015). "A. James Clark, who built empire of concrete and glass, dies at 87". Washington Post. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
  4. "UMD Mourns Passing of Benefactor and Alumnus A. James Clark". eng.umd.edu. 2015-03-20. p. University of Maryland School of Engineering. Retrieved 2020-04-22.
  5. Penfield, Robert V. (February 1976). "The Double-Breasted Operation in the Construction Industry". Labor Law Journal. 27 (2): 89.
  6. Roberts, Sam (March 23, 2015). "A. James Clark, 'King of Concrete' Who Built Arenas, Dies at 87". The New York Times. Retrieved 14 April 2015.
  7. "$8 Million Gift Launches Engineering Scholars Program". GW MAgazine. Retrieved 14 April 2015.
  8. "Clark Scholars Program". Johns Hopkins University. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  9. "Alfred James Clark". Forbes. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
  10. "Who was A. James Clark?". The University of Maryland.

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