Remembering Speaker Pro Tempore Robert Clark
Robert George Clark, Jr, died on Tuesday, March 4. He became the first African American elected to the Mississippi Legislature since Reconstruction, serving from 1967 to 2003 and rising to the rank of Speaker Pro Tempore in the Mississippi House. Speaker Clark was a longstanding supporter of the Mississippi Department and Archive and History’s (MDAH) work, specifically the creation of the Two Mississippi Museums.
“We’re honored to hold the Robert George Clark, Jr., Collection at the Mississippi Department of Archives and History. Along with his historic election win in 1967, Representative Clark is remembered for his support of education initiatives in our state and as an advocate for MDAH’s work to share and preserve Mississippi’s authentic stories. His life’s work has left an indelible impact for future generations,” said Katie Blount, director of MDAH.
Born in Ebenezer, Mississippi, Clark was chairman of the Education Committee when the Education Reform Act of 1982 was passed. His other leadership roles included chairman of the Ethics Committee and vice chairman of the Apportionment and Elections Committee. Clark earned scholarships to attend Jackson State College (now Jackson State University) and graduated in 1952. When Clark decided to seek election to the legislature as an independent from Holmes County in 1967, he received support from the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party, and his win was one of the results of a longstanding voter registration effort in the county. Clark narrowly defeated the White incumbent J.P. Love.
Clark also served on the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum Advisory Commission since its formation and he participated in the 2015 MDAH documentary ”50 Years and Forward: The Voting Rights Act and Mississippi,” co-produced with the University of Mississippi. Clark and his wife, Joanne, were frequent attendees of department programs, and in 2017, we were honored to celebrate Clark in the historic House Chamber of the Old Capitol Museum. The event featured leaders of both political parties in the state, a testament to Clark's bipartisan agility.