David A. Clarke

David Allen "Dave" Clarke (October 13, 1943 – March 27, 1997)[2] was a civil-rights worker, attorney, and Democratic politician in Washington, D.C. Elected as one of the original members of the Council of the District of Columbia when D.C. gained home rule in 1974, Clarke served as its chair from 1983 to 1991, and again from the death of John A. Wilson in 1993 until his own death in 1997.

David A. Clarke
Clarke in 1975
3rd and 5th Chair of the Council of the District of Columbia
In office September 14, 1993 – March 27, 1997
Preceded by	John A. Wilson
Succeeded by	Linda W. Cropp
In office January 2, 1983 – January 2, 1991
Preceded by	Arrington Dixon
Succeeded by	John A. Wilson
Member of the Council of the District of Columbia for Ward 1
In office January 2, 1975 – January 2, 1983
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Frank Smith
Personal details
Born	David Allen Clarke (1943-10-13)October 13, 1943 Baltimore, Maryland[1]
Died	March 27, 1997(1997-03-27) (aged 53)[2]
Cause of death	Central nervous system lymphoma[2]
Political party	Democratic Party
Spouse(s)	Carole Leavitt Clarke[1]
Children	1[1][3]
Parents	Allen Joseph Clarke and Ophia Carroll Clarke[1]
Alma mater	George Washington University B.A., Howard University School of Law J.D.
Profession	Civil rights activist, attorney[1]

The District of Columbia School of Law was renamed the David A. Clarke School of Law for Clarke in 1998.[4]

Early life and education

David Allen Clarke was born in Baltimore, Maryland, on October 13, 1943, to Allen Joseph Clarke and Ophia Carroll Clarke.[1] His father died while he was an infant; he moved with his mother to Southwest Washington when he was 2.[1]

Clarke's mother worked as a clerk at the United States Department of Agriculture.[5] They later moved to the neighborhood of Shaw.[1] Clarke attended public schools, namely Thompson Elementary School, Jefferson Junior High, and Western High School.[1] Clarke's mother died of tuberculosis when Clarke was 16 years old, and he moved in with his aunt, who was also living in Shaw.[1]

Clarke earned a Bachelor of Arts in religion from George Washington University in 1965.[1][6] He then enrolled at Crozer Theological Seminary in Chester, Pennsylvania, but, wanting to take a more direct role in the Civil Rights Movement, after two weeks he transferred to the nearby Upland Institute for Social Change and Conflict Management.[1][7] Upland then sent him back to Washington to work for Walter E. Fauntroy at the recently formed D.C. Coalition for Conscience.[1][7]

When Greater Washington Board of Trade opposed home rule for the District, Clarke protested next to the Washington Monument on July 4, 1966. When Clarke began reading the United States Declaration of Independence, he was arrested.[1][7]

Clarke decided to pursue a Juris Doctor from Howard University School of Law.[5] While a student, Clarke was a research assistant for his mentor Frank D. Reeves and clerked at the N.A.A.C.P. Legal Defense Fund,[8][9] including arranging legal assistance for demonstrators participating in the Poor People's Campaign, particularly the Resurrection City encampment on the Mall.[7][1]

Career

After finishing law school, he worked briefly for the U.S. Senate Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs,[8] and then became Director of the Washington Bureau of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.[1][3] In 1972, two years before Home Rule, Clarke opened a private law practice.[7] In 1974, David Clarke was elected as the Ward One Representative on the first Council of the District of Columbia elected by District of Columbia voters—of the 13 members of the first council, only two had law degrees and “Dave was the only attorney that won in that whole election. Everybody else was a community activist.”[8] (Arrington Dixon had a law degree but never practiced.[10])

During his eight years as the representative of Ward One, he chaired Council's Judiciary Committee, was a member of the Council's Housing and Finance committee, and chaired the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments's Public Safety Committee,[11] where he was a proponent of gun control.

After two terms representing Ward 1, Clarke was elected Chair (a separate seat, elected at-large) in 1982. He served as Chair of Council for eight more years, then ran for Mayor in 1990[3]--the only election he ever lost. As Chair of Council he had helped create the DC School of Law, and after leaving Council he co-founded a Legislation Clinic—a legal clinic focused on "legislative and regulatory advocacy"[12]—at the School, serving as co-director for several years.[4] In 1993 he ran for Chair again in the special election following the death of John A Wilson, and remained Chair until his own death. During his return to the Chairmanship, the School of Law was merged with the University of the District of Columbia, and after his death the School was renamed the David A. Clarke School of Law in his honor.[4]

While on the Council, he was known for an ability to transcend race, a legacy from his experience as an activist and important in a racially divided district.[2][13][14] His aggressive style at times made consensus-building difficult.[2][7][8][15][16]

Clarke died of a central nervous system lymphoma, a form of brain cancer.[17][2] He was survived by his wife, a city schoolteacher, and one son.[3]

Timeline

• November 5, 1974 – elected Ward 1 council member[18]
• November 7, 1978 – reelected Ward 1 council member[18]
• November 2, 1982 – elected council chairman[18]
• November 4, 1986 – reelected council chairman[18]
• September 11, 1990 – ran for mayor; defeated in primary by Sharon Pratt Dixon[18]
• September 14, 1993 – elected council chairman in special election after death of John A. Wilson[18][11] with 47 percent, beating Charlene Drew Jarvis (29 percent), Linda Cropp (16 percent), and Marie Drissel (6 percent)[19]
• November 8, 1994 – reelected council chairman[18]
• December 30, 1996 – entered Georgetown University Hospital; council chairman pro tempore Charlene Drew Jarvis took over as acting chairman[20]
• March 27, 1997 – died in office[2][18]

Awards and legacy

Clarke received numerous awards for his community service initiatives including Outstanding Alumnus Award, Greater Washington Howard University Law School Alumni Association; Achievement Award, Elks Department of Civil Liberties League # 194; Human Rights Award, Ancient Independent Order of Moses; and the Washington Inner City Self-Help, Outstanding Service to Community Award. The University of the District of Columbia's Law School also bears his name: "The UDC David A. Clarke School of Law."[4][6]

References

1. Smith, J.Y. (March 29, 1997). "As a Longtime Activist, Clarke Championed Rights of D.C. Residents". The Washington Post. p. A10. Retrieved July 8, 2020.
2. Powell, Michael; Williams, Vanessa (March 29, 1997). "D.C. Council Chairman David A. Clarke Dies". The Washington Post. p. A01. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
3. "David Clarke, 53; Led City Council in Washington". The New York Times. The Associated Press. March 29, 1997. Section 1, p. 20. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
4. David A. Clarke School of Law. "School of Law History". University of the District of Columbia. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
5. King, Colbert I. (August 17, 1990). "Clarke: Left at the Loading Dock". The Washington Post. p. A27.
6. Special Collections Research Center (2013). "Guide to the David A. Clarke papers, 1974-1997". George Washington University Libraries. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
7. Abramowitz, Michael (August 31, 1990). "A Civil Rights Champion of Unrelenting Intensity". The Washington Post. p. A01. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
8. Barras, Jonetta Rose (Sep 29, 1995). "The Strange World of David Clarke". Washington City Paper. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
9. King, Colbert I. (March 29, 1997). "He Stood for Something Large". The Washington Post. p. A17. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
10. Trescott, Jacqueline (May 18, 1975). "Arrington Dixon: Seeking Systems To Run the System". The Washington Post. pp. M1, M14. Retrieved 14 July 2020 – via ProQuest. Through his wife's urging [Dixon] earned a law degree from George Washington Law School in 1972 but hasn't joined the bar.
11. Council of the District of Columbia (n.d.). "A Celebration of Public Service — In Memoriam: Remembering Members Who Are Deceased" (PDF). slidelegend.com. p. 4. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
12. David A. Clarke School of Law (n.d.). "Legislation Clinic". University of the District of Columbia. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
13. Harris, Hamil R. (April 5, 1997). "Sorrow for David Clarke, Hope for D.C.: Council Chief's Eulogies Focus on His Civil Rights Legacy and the Work That Remains". The Washington Post. p. D01. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
14. Barry, Marion (March 29, 1997). "`A Giant for This City'". The Washington Post. p. C01. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
15. Gilliam, Dorothy (March 29, 1997). "A D.C. Leader Who Moved Beyond Race". The Washington Post. p. B01. Retrieved 13 July 2020. Clarke at his best did not have an easy or compromising temperament.
16. "David Allen Clarke". The Washington Post. March 29, 1997. p. A16. Retrieved 13 July 2020. He could be unyielding in his demands for government attention to -- and public money for -- those he considered ill-served by the law, by business interests or by anyone he thought was undermining this city's hard-earned limited home rule.
17. Goldstein, Amy; Harris, Hamil R. (March 11, 1997). "Doctors Say Clarke Has Brain Cancer". The Washington Post. p. A01. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
18. District of Columbia Board of Elections (n.d.). "Past Elected Officials". dcboe.org. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
19. Sanchez, Rene (Sep 15, 1993). "Clarke Elected Council Chairman; Jarvis, Cropp Beaten Soundly in Seven of Eight D.C. Wards". The Washington Post. Proquest Archiver. p. A.01. Archived from the original on 2011-05-25. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
20. Harris, Hamil R. (Feb 2, 1997). "With Jarvis in Driver's Seat, D.C. Council Roars to Life". The Washington Post. p. B.01. Archived from the original on 2011-05-25. Retrieved 11 July 2020.

External links

• Appearances on C-SPAN

Council of the District of Columbia
First	Ward 1 Member, Council of the District of Columbia 1975–1983	Succeeded by Frank Smith
Preceded by Arrington Dixon	Chairman, Council of the District of Columbia 1983–1991	Succeeded by John A. Wilson
Preceded by John A. Wilson	Chairman, Council of the District of Columbia 1993–1997	Succeeded by Linda W. Cropp