Fabulous 50: Dr. Lawrence M. Clark Hired

Blog post authored by Katie Bushman, Special Collections Graduate Assistant.

This year, we celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the hiring of Dr. Lawrence M. Clark as Associate Provost and Professor of Mathematics Education. Dr. Clark was the second African American to serve as a university administrator, and originally he coordinated the university’s Affirmative Action plan. Dr. Clark later played an instrumental role in the founding of NC State’s African American Cultural Center, the Peer Mentor program, and the African American Symposium.

Dr. Clark grew up in Danville, Virginia. He served in the United States Marine Corps from 1954-1956, then attended Virginia State University, where he majored in mathematics and participated in local civil rights nonviolent protests and demonstrations. He taught at a public school for three years before attending the University of Virginia, where he earned a doctorate in education in 1967. Afterwards he taught at Virginia State University and Norfolk State University, then became Florida State University’s first African American Professor in 1970 before being hired by NC State in 1974.

The Office of the Provost established the position of Affirmative Action Officer shortly before hiring Dr. Clark. As Assistant Provost (later Associate Provost) for Affirmative Action, Dr. Clark ensured that the university was in compliance with federal and state laws prohibiting discrimination based on race, gender, and disability. His department oversaw programs to prevent and address issues of discrimination and harassment; recruit and retain faculty and students from marginalized groups; and advocate for the rights of women and persons with disabilities.

Dr. Clark played an important role in shaping African-American student life at NC State. He introduced and implemented the idea of having an African American Coordinator in each college. He helped initiate the African American Symposium and is considered one of the founders of the African American Cultural Center. With his colleague Dr. Augustus Witherspoon, he created a program for the development of African American youth in math, science, and the arts. 

In 1982, Dr. Clark established NC State’s University-Community Brotherhood Dinner program in order to link the university with Shaw University, St. Augustine’s University, and the local community. The Brotherhood Dinner honored African Americans who had made outstanding achievements, highlighting one person per year.  The Brotherhood Dinners continued into the early 2000s, and in 2007, Dr. Clark himself was the honoree. At many of these dinners, short videos about the honorees were shown that included interviews of the honorees and/or testimonials by their colleagues.  Many of these interviews are available to view in our Rare & Unique Digital Collections site, including one of Dr. Clark discussing his experiences with honoree and civil rights leader C.T. Vivian.

Dr. Clark and Dr. Witherspoon also developed an international program with the government of Togo that brought NC State students to West Africa during the summers of 1989, 1990, and 1991. This trip had a profound impact on the students who attended, leading several of them to create the Clark/Witherspoon Legacy Celebration. Alumni cited these trips as inspiring them to carry out projects championing diversity and inclusion and connecting the United States with West Africa, and they reunited in 2019 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the initial trip.

 Dr. Clark retired from the University in 1995, but his legacy has lived on. For several years, the African American Cultural Center hosted the Lawrence M. Clark Lecture Series in his honor.  Today, the Lawrence M. Clark Memorial Scholarship supports students who have “demonstrated interest in equality, diversity or social justice for the Black community.”

The Special Collections Research Center has several collections relating to the work and legacy of Dr. Lawrence M. Clark. These include his professional files in the Office for Equal Opportunity and Equity Records and the African American Cultural Center Records. To further research African American history at NC State, see the Libraries' African American timeline.

If you have any questions or are interested in viewing Special Collections materials, please contact us at library_specialcollections@ncsu.edu or submit a request online. The Special Collections Research Center is open by appointment only. Appointments are available Monday–Friday, 9am–6pm and Saturday, 1pm–5pm. Requests for a Saturday appointment must be received no later than Tuesday of the same week.