Forrest G. Clark Scholarship Fund

TYPE OF FUND:  Scholarship                       DATE ESTABLISHED:  July 19, 1992

PURPOSE:  To provide a scholarship for students in Tucker County.

 DISTRIBUTION:  To be awarded to students upon the recommendation of the Scholarship Committee and the approval of the TCF Board of Directors.

VARIANCE POWER:  If, in the judgment of the TCF Board of Directors, the restrictions and conditions of the fund become unnecessary, incapable of fulfillment or inconsistent with the charitable needs of the community, the TCF Board of Directors maintains the right to modify the terms of this fund.

FUNDING:  In memory of her husband, Forrest G. Clark, by Catherine Patton Clark of Bridgeport, WV.

BACKGROUND:  Forrest G. Clark was the last of the nine children of the late James E. and Mary Shannon Clark.  He died Jan. 21, 1989.

A 1925 graduate of Buckhannon High School, he attended Alderson-Broaddus College in Philippi for three years when it was known as Broaddus College.  There he lettered in football, basketball and baseball.  Following his death, he was inducted into the A-B Battler Sports Hall of Fame.

He completed his undergraduate education at West Virginia University and did graduate work at Michigan State College and Northwestern University.  He earned a master’s degree in physical education from Columbia University in New York City in 1938.  He was also named to the West Virginia University Hall of Fame of the School of Physical Education.

Mr. Clark spent 45 years as an educator in West Virginia.  During the first 21 years he was a teacher and coach at Parsons, Mannington and Parkersburg.  In 1934, Mr. Clark coached the Parsons High School boys’ basketball team to a state championship when all schools in the state were in one class.  He concluded his career in public education in West Virginia in 1968 when he joined the administrative staff of Alderson-Broaddus College.  He helped construct the Memorial Coliseum on the campus and began a new program of physical education.

During more than four decades of work in public and private education, Mr. Clark actively promoted sports and programs for physical education.  He was an active writer as well, and contributed many articles to state and national publications about fitness and sports.

Following his retirement in 1973, he was secretary of the West Virginia High School Coaches Association.  He was president of the West Virginia Physical Education Association, Vice President of the Mid-west Physical Education Association and served in various capacities for the American Association for Health and Physical Education.  In 1978, he was a recipient of the Ray O. Duncan Award for Outstanding Service to the West Virginia Association.  He was recognized by Alderson Broaddus College with an alumni citation, and he served on the College’s Board of Governors.  Both Mr. and Mrs. Clark were honored with the college’s Apollo Award for Outstanding Achievement.

Mr. Clark was a member of Mt. Olive United Methodist Church of Alpha Gamma Rho National Fraternity and was a life member of BPOE.