David Worth Clark (April 2, 1902June 19, 1955), was a Democratic

congressman A Member of Congress (MOC) is a person who has been appointed or elected and inducted into an official body called a congress, typically to represent a particular constituency in a legislature. The term member of parliament (MP) is an equivalen ...

and United States Senator from Idaho, its first U.S. Senator born in the state.

Early years

Clark was born in Idaho Falls, Idaho and attended public schools there. He attended Columbia University in Portland, Oregon, and the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana, where he earned a bachelor's degree in 1922. Clark graduated from

Harvard Law School Harvard Law School (Harvard Law or HLS) is the law school of Harvard University, a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest continuously operating law school in the United States. Each class ...

in 1925 and was admitted to the bar that year. He commenced practice in Idaho at Pocatello, and was the state's assistant

attorney general In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general or attorney-general (sometimes abbreviated AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. The plural is attorneys general. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have exec ...

from 1933 to 1935.

Congress

House

Clark was elected to the U.S. House from the 2nd district of Idaho in

1934 Events January–February * January 1 – The International Telecommunication Union, a specialist agency of the League of Nations, is established. * January 15 – The 8.0 1934 Nepal–Bihar earthquake, Nepal–Bihar earthquake strik ...

. The seat had been vacant for several months, since the untimely death of Thomas Coffin in June. Clark was re-elected in

1936 Events January–February * January 20 – George V of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India, dies at his Sandringham Estate. The Prince of Wales succeeds to the throne of the United Kingdom as King E ...

, easily defeating his successor, newspaper publisher Henry Dworshak of Burley. :

Senate

Clark ran for the U.S. Senate in

1938 Events January * January 1 ** The Constitution of Estonia#Third Constitution (de facto 1938–1940, de jure 1938–1992), new constitution of Estonia enters into force, which many consider to be the ending of the Era of Silence and the a ...

and narrowly won the Democratic primary in August over incumbent James Pope of Boise, a setback for

New Deal The New Deal was a series of programs, public work projects, financial reforms, and regulations enacted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the United States between 1933 and 1939. Major federal programs agencies included the Civilian Cons ...

supporters. In the general election, Clark defeated Republican former state Representative Donald Callahan of

Wallace Wallace may refer to: People * Clan Wallace in Scotland * Wallace (given name) * Wallace (surname) * Wallace (footballer, born 1986), full name Wallace Fernando Pereira, Brazilian football left-back * Wallace (footballer, born 1987), full name ...

. Six years later, he was defeated for renomination in the

1944 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 2 – WWII: ** Free French General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny is appointed to command French Army B, part of the Sixth United States Army Group in Nor ...

Democratic primary by Glen H. Taylor of Pocatello. Clark vied to reclaim his Senate seat in

1950 Events January * January 1 – The International Police Association (IPA) – the largest police organization in the world – is formed. * January 5 – 1950 Sverdlovsk plane crash, Sverdlovsk plane crash: ''Aeroflot'' Lisunov Li-2 cr ...

and defeated Taylor in the primary, as Taylor became the third consecutive incumbent of that Senate seat to lose in the Democratic primary. In the general election in November, Clark lost to Republican state Senator Herman Welker of Payette, as all four congressional seats (two House, two Senate) went to Republicans. Welker aligned himself in the Senate with the infamous

Joseph McCarthy Joseph Raymond McCarthy (November 14, 1908 – May 2, 1957) was an American politician who served as a Republican U.S. Senator from the state of Wisconsin from 1947 until his death in 1957. Beginning in 1950, McCarthy became the most visi ...

of Wisconsin and lost his re-election bid in

1956 Events January * January 1 – The Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, Anglo-Egyptian Condominium ends in Sudan. * January 8 – Operation Auca: Five U.S. evangelical Christian Missionary, missionaries, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, Ed McCully, Jim ...

to 32 year-old

Frank Church Frank Forrester Church III (July 25, 1924 – April 7, 1984) was an Americans, American politician and lawyer. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as a United States Senate, United States senator from Idah ...

of Boise (husband of his cousin, Bethine), who served four terms. :

After Congress

After losing to Welker, Clark resumed the practice of law in Boise and Washington, D.C. He moved to in 1954 and held financial interests in radio stations in and Honolulu, and a bank in Las Vegas.

Death

While watching television with his wife and youngest daughter, Clark died of a heart attack at his southern California home at age 53 on June 19, 1955, and was buried in

Holy Cross Cemetery Holy Cross Cemetery may refer to: United States California *Holy Cross Cemetery (Colma, California) *Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City, California * Holy Cross Cemetery (Menlo Park, California) * Holy Cross Cemetery (Pomona, California) *Holy C ...

Culver City, California Culver City is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 40,779. Founded in 1917 as a "whites only" sundown town, it is now an ethnically diverse city with what was called the "third-most d ...

Personal

Clark was a member of a prominent Idaho political family; his uncles

Barzilla Clark Barzilla Worth Clark (December 22, 1880 – September 21, 1943) was an American politician from Idaho. He served as the 16th governor of Idaho mayor of Idaho Falls, and was a member of the Idaho Democratic Party. Early life and education ...

and Chase Clark both served as governor of Idaho. His cousin Bethine, Chase Clark's daughter, married future U.S. Senator

in 1947. Clark's wife Virgil (1901–1991) was a sister-in-law of

Robert Smylie Robert Eben Smylie (October 31, 1914 – July 17, 2004) was an American politician and attorney from Idaho. A member of the Idaho Republican Party, he served as the 24th governor of Idaho for twelve years, from 1955 to 1967. He was the first ...

; the three-term (1955–1967) Republican governor of Idaho married her younger sister Lucile.

References

External links

Idaho State Historical Society entry
(

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- requires reader)
Boise State University Library
– D. Worth Clark (1902–1955) – papers, 1935–1950 * {{DEFAULTSORT:Clark, D. Worth 1902 births 1955 deaths University of Notre Dame alumni Harvard Law School alumni Democratic Party United States senators from Idaho People from Idaho Falls, Idaho Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Idaho 20th-century American politicians Old Right (United States)