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MONONGALIA COUNTY WEST VIRGINIA
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Submitted to the West Virginia Biographies Project by:
PJSTON@aol.com
December 7, 1999
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The History of West Virginia, Old and New
Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc.,
Chicago and New York, Volume II
pg 98 + 99
David Core Clark through his private practice and long membership on the
State Board of Examiners has been prominent in the profession of dental
surgery in West Virginia, is also a former member of the State Legislature,
and in many other respects a leader in the civic and social life of his home
city, Morgantown.
He was born in Monongalia County and is descended from two old families of
this section of the valley. His paternal grandfather, Nehemiah Clark, came
from Maryland and was a pioneer in the Cass District of Monongalia County.
The maternal grandfather, John Core, was probably born either in Cass or in
Clay District of the same county. Doctor Clark's father was William James
Clark, who was born in Cass District June 19, 1845, and spent his life as an
industrious and frugal farmer and died on his farm April 9, 1916. He married
Martha Ellen Core, who was born in Clay District May 20, 1848, and is still
living at the old homestead.
David C. Clark was born at the Clark home in Clay District February 4, 1873.
He acquired his early education in the district and graded schools, later
attended the Fairmont State Normal School, then taught school in the district
schools of Monongalia County for a number of years, and in 1898 received his
degree D. D. S. from the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery. After his
graduation Doctor Clark practiced at Blacksville in Monongalia County until
1917, in which year he removed to Morgantown. He was a member of the West
Virginia State Board of Dental Examiners from 1915 to 1920. For a period of
fifteen years, from 1906 to 1921, he was treasurer of the State Dental
Society, and has taken a prominent part in that organization and several of
his addresses and technical papers have been printed in dental publications.
Doctor Clark was elected as a republican to represent Monongalia County in
the Legislature in 1915. During the regular session of 1916 he was a member
of the committees on prohibition and temperance, education, private
corporations, and joint stock corporations, immigration and agriculture, and
medicine and sanitation. He faithfully represented the interests entrusted
to him, but after his first term he declined renomination.
During the World war he recognized no obligation as superior to the needs of
the nation, and gave both of his professional effort and his means to the
cause. He was a member of the National Dental Preparedness League, and
shared in its program of work in preparing recruits for the army by dental
examination and treatment. He was also connected with all the Liberty Loan
drives in the county.
Doctor Clark is a director of the Bank of Morgantown and financially
interested in other corporations. He is an official member of the First
Methodist Episcopal Church, a worker in the Sunday school, and is affiliated
with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Knights of Pythias, is a
member of the Chamber of Commerce and the Rotary Club of Morgantown. October
6, 1898, he married Miss Joanna Stephens, daughter of Bowen and Ruth E.
(Zimmerman) Stephens, of Blacksville. Mrs. Clark is an accomplished woman,
liberally educated and active in Morgantown social life. She was trained in
the public schools and in the Mount Pleasant Seminary of Mount Pleasant,
Pennsylvania. She is a member of the Book Lovers and the Music clubs of
Morgantown.
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