Edward Walter Clark (May 17, 1857 – April 4, 1946) was a Philadelphia businessman and banker who was also noted as a first-class cricketer, yachtsman, and a breeder of cocker spaniels. A third-generation member of the

Clark banking family Clark is an English language surname, ultimately derived from the Latin with historical links to England, Scotland, and Ireland ''clericus'' meaning "scribe", "secretary" or a scholar within a religious order, referring to someone who was educated ...

, Clark was a senior partner in the E. W. Clark & Co. investment house, a vice president of the

First National Bank of Philadelphia First National Bank was a bank in Philadelphia. Chartered in 1863, it was the first national bank created under the Civil War banking reforms that began to define the modern U.S. banking system, and the first commercial bank to issue a fede ...

, and a manager of

Lehigh Coal & Navigation Company The Lehigh Coal & Navigation Company was a mining and transportation company headquartered in Mauch Chunk, Pennsylvania, now known as Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania. The company operated from 1818 until its dissolution in 1964 and played an early and i ...

. In his leisure time, he was a prominent cricket player in Philadelphia-area clubs, served as commodore of the

Philadelphia Corinthian Yacht Club The Corinthian Yacht Club of Philadelphia is a yacht club near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Its clubhouse and dock are located at 300 W. 2nd Street in Essington, Pennsylvania. History The club was established on January 12, 1892, by 13 members of ...

, and was a part-owner of the Irolita Kennels.

Biography

He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on May 17, 1857. He was the eldest of six siblings, including a brother,

Clarence Munroe Clark Clarence Munroe Clark (August 27, 1859 – June 29, 1937) was an American financier who helped develop electric light, power, and streetcar companies, as well as a noted tennis player. Biography Born in the Germantown section of Philadelphia ...

, born to Mary Todhunter Sill (1835-1908) and

Edward White Clark Edward White Clark (January 20, 1828 – April 9, 1904) was the head of E. W. Clark & Company, a prominent financial firm in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Biography He was born on January 20, 1828, to Enoch White Clark, a member of the Clark ban ...

(1828-1904). His grandfather was

Enoch White Clark Enoch White Clark (November 16, 1802 – August 4, 1856) was the founder of E. W. Clark & Co., a prominent financial firm based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that helped the U.S. government finance the Mexican–American War. In 1857, Clark was ...

(1802-1856). Edward was called "Jr." to distinguish him from his father. Clark, who attended

Germantown Academy Germantown Academy, informally known as GA and originally known as the Union School, is the oldest nonsectarian day school in the United States. The school was founded on December 6, 1759, by a group of prominent Germantown citizens in the Gree ...

and the University of Pennsylvania, He married Lydia Jane Newhall (1858-1936) on October 31, 1882, in Philadelphia. They had two sons, George Newhall Clark (1887-1906), who died while at Harvard of influenza; and Sydney Procter Clark; and two daughters, Frances Clark Stoddard, and Christine Clark Willetts. In 1904, he became a senior partner at E. W. Clark & Co. He became a trustee of the Pomfret School, and gave the school a dormitory, Dunworth, in 1905. In 1907, he donated the Clark Memorial Chapel to honor his deceased son. In 1925, he bought the yacht ''

Resolute Resolute may refer to: Geography * Resolute, Nunavut, Canada, a hamlet * Resolute Bay, Nunavut * Resolute Mountain, Alberta, Canada Military operations * Operation Resolute, the Australian Defence Force contribution to patrolling Australia's Ex ...

''. In 1930, with Winthrop Aldrich and Vincent Astor, he financed the sloop '' Enterprise'' to compete in the

America's Cup The America's Cup, informally known as the Auld Mug, is a trophy awarded in the sport of sailing. It is the oldest international competition still operating in any sport. America's Cup match races are held between two sailing yachts: one f ...

. He died on April 4, 1946, at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Clubs

He was a member of the

Rittenhouse Club The Rittenhouse Club is a private institution in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1875 to allow "businessmen, intellectuals and artists to socialize in a congenial, friendly atmosphere." History The Gentlemen's club was founded in 1874 ...

, the

Racquet Club of Philadelphia The Racquet Club of Philadelphia (RCOP) is a private social club and athletic club in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It has facilities for squash, real tennis, and racquets. The club is ranked in the Top 20 Athletic Clubs on the Platinum Club of A ...

, the Germantown Cricket Club, the Union League, the New York Yacht Club.

Cricket

Clark was a prominent cricketer, playing as a right-handed middle-order batsman and a right-arm medium bowler, bowling in the round-arm style. His career in front-rank American cricket lasted from 1877 to 1906, during which he played for many different sides. Between 1880 and 1897, he appeared in 27 matches that are considered as "first-class cricket", some of them all-American games and others against touring teams from England. His highest first-class score was an innings of 147 made in a rather strange match in 1894 in which his team batted for the whole of the two days allotted to the game, which was therefore left drawn. His brothers Herbert, Joseph, and Percy also played first-class cricket, though Joseph was better known as a tennis champion.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Clark, Edward Walter 1857 births 1946 deaths E. W. Clark & Co. Clark banking family Germantown Academy alumni University of Pennsylvania alumni Members of the New York Yacht Club Businesspeople from Philadelphia