Robert G. Clark, Jr.

Robert G. Clark, Jr. (born October 3, 1928) is an American politician from the state of Mississippi [ Government Web Site [http://www.mississippi.gov/ State of Mississippi] ] . Clark was born in Mississippi and he received his undergraduate degree from Jackson State University and a Master's Degree in Administration and Educational Services from Michigan State University. [Michigan State University Web Site [http://www.msu.edu/ Michigan State University] ] . [Ebenezer]

Clark was elected to the Mississippi House of Representatives in 1967. He was the first African American elected to the Mississippi State Legislature since the Reconstruction era. In 1977 he became the first black committee chairman in the Mississippi House of Representatives. He was named to head the all-important Education Committee, a position he held for ten pivotal years of change and reform in Mississippi's educational system. He was at the helm of the Education Committee when the House passed the highly acclaimed 1982 Education Reform Act, as well as the 1984 Vocational Education Reform Act.

In January 1992, he was elected as Speaker Pro Tempore. He was re-elected to that position at the start of the 1996 session and again re-elected at the start of the 2000 session. When he retired from the Mississippi House of Representatives in December 2003 he was the longest serving member in continuous House service. He was succeeded in office by his son, Bryant W.Clark [ [http://www.bryantwclark.com Bryant W. Clark] ] .

In 2004, Clark was again the first when he became the first African American to have a Mississippi state building named after him. As a legislator Clark was known not as a politician but a statesman.

Notes

References

* Cambell, W (2002). "Robert G. Clark’s Journey to the House: A Black Politician’s Story", Jackson, University of Mississippi Press.
* Neilson, M (1989). "Even Mississippi", Tuscaloosa, University of Alabama Press.
* Nash, J (2006). "Mississippi Politics: The Struggle for Power ", Jackson, University of Mississippi Press.