Davis Wasgatt Clark (25 February 1812 – May 23, 1871) was an American Bishop of the

Methodist Episcopal Church The Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC) was the oldest and largest Methodist denomination in the United States from its founding in 1784 until 1939. It was also the first religious denomination in the US to organize itself on a national basis. In ...

, elected in 1864; the first President of the Freedman's Aid Society; and the namesake of Clark Atlanta University, an HBCU.

Birth and early life

Clark was born on

Mount Desert Island Mount Desert Island (MDI; french: Île des Monts Déserts) in Hancock County, Maine, is the largest island off the coast of Maine. With an area of it is the 52nd-largest island in the United States, the sixth-largest island in the contiguous ...

Hancock County, Maine Hancock County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine. As of the 2020 census, the population was 55,478. Its county seat is Ellsworth. The county was incorporated on June 25, 1789, and named for John Hancock, the first governor of ...

. He was a grandson of Davis Wasgatt, a soldier of the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

. Influenced by the ''family altar,'' at the age of 16 he joined the first Methodist Class formed by the Rev. David Stimson on

Education

Clark graduated from Kents Hill School in 1833. He then graduated from

Wesleyan University Wesleyan University ( ) is a private liberal arts university in Middletown, Connecticut. Founded in 1831 as a men's college under the auspices of the Methodist Episcopal Church and with the support of prominent residents of Middletown, the col ...

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its capita ...

in 1836.

Ordained ministry

After some years of teaching at Amenia Seminary in New York, Clark joined the Traveling Ministry of the New York

Annual Conference A conference is a meeting of two or more experts to discuss and exchange opinions or new information about a particular topic. Conferences can be used as a form of group decision-making, although discussion, not always decisions, are the main pu ...

in 1843. He served as pastor, educator and editor, including time spent as the editor of the '' Ladies' Repository,'' a

Methodist Episcopal The Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC) was the oldest and largest Methodist denomination in the United States from its founding in 1784 until 1939. It was also the first religious denomination in the US to organize itself on a national basis. In ...

women's magazine. This appointment was spent in Cincinnati.

Episcopal ministry

Clark was elected a bishop in 1864. In 1866 he was called upon to serve as a mediator to reunite the northern and southern branches of the M.E. Church. He also played an important role in healing the spiritual wounds created by the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

. He was the first president of the Freedman's Aid Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Clark College, founded in 1869, was named in his honor. In 1877, the school was chartered as Clark University and its first degree was conferred in 1880. The school was relocated in 1833. In 1988, the school merged with

Atlanta University Clark Atlanta University (CAU or Clark Atlanta) is a private, Methodist, historically black research university in Atlanta, Georgia. Clark Atlanta is the first Historically Black College or University (HBCU) in the Southern United States. Fou ...

, thus becoming Clark Atlanta University. Bishop Clark became one of the most popular and best known Methodist leaders during the post-Civil War years. He died in

Cincinnati, Ohio Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wi ...

, May 23, 1871. At the time of his death, he was one of the country's leading religious personalities.

Books

''Elements of Algebra: Embracing Also the Theory and Application of Logarithms''
New York: Harper & Brothers, 1846. *
Man All Immortal
or, The Nature and Destination of Man as Taught by Reason and Revelation''. Cincinnati: Poe & Hitchcock, 1864.
''Mental Discipline: With Reference to the Acquisition and Communication of Knowledge''
New York: Lane & Tippett, 1847. * ''Sermons for the College''. Akers, 1851. :::''Note: Many other works which were edited by Rev. Clark are currently available a
Google Books
''

Notes

References

* Some Kents Hill School Notable