Duncan Clark

For the Scottish hammer thrower with the same name see Duncan Clark (athlete).

Duncan William Clark, MD (1910 – 5 August 2007) was an American public health expert and preventive medicine specialist. He is best known for advocating the addition of fluoride to the New York City's water supply to prevent tooth decay.

Education

Clark was born in New York City. He studied at Fordham University and gained a medical degree at Long Island College of Medicine in 1936.^[1]

Career

Clark served as Dean of the Long Island College of Medicine. He chaired the Department of Environmental Medicine and Community Health at the State University of New York, Brooklyn from 1951 to 1978, becoming a professor emeritus in 1982.^[1]

He edited a textbook, Preventive Medicine (1967), with Brian MacMahon (republished as Preventive and Community Medicine, 1981).^[1]

Awards and legacy

Clark served as president of the New York Academy of Medicine (1983–84).^[2] The Annual Duncan W. Clark Lecture in Health Policy of the New York Academy of Medicine is named in his honour.^[3]

The Duncan Clark Award and the Duncan Clark Lectureship of the Association for Prevention Teaching and Research are also named for him. He was the first recipient of the Duncan Clark Award in 1974 and received the Duncan Clark Lectureship in 1992.^[4]

Publications

• Clark DW, MacMahon B, eds. Preventive Medicine (J&A Churchill; Little, Brown; 1967) (ISBN 0316145556); reissued as Clark DW, MacMahon B, eds. Preventive and Community Medicine (Little, Brown; 1981) (ISBN 0316145963)

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} Pearce J. Dr. Duncan W. Clark, Voice for Fluoridated Water, Dies at 96. New York Times (21 August 2007) (accessed 30 January 2008)
2. ^ New York Academy of Medicine: Greater use of medical resources doesn't result in better medical care, says Dr. John Wennberg at the 2005 Duncan W. Clark Lecture (accessed 31 January 2008)
3. ^ New York Academy of Medicine: Division of Health Policy: Lectures and Events (accessed 31 January 2008)
4. ^ APTR Awards Recognition Program (accessed 30 January 2008)

Further reading

• Imperato PJ. (2007) Duncan William Clark, MD 1910–2007. J Community Health (Dec 7)

Persondata
Name	Clark, Duncan
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1910
Place of birth
Date of death	5 August 2007
Place of death