40 Famous Iowans - Alexander Clark, Sr.

Alexander Clark, Sr. was one of the most prominent community leaders of Muscatine, Iowa. He was born, however, in Pennsylvania. His father was a slave who was eventually given his freedom by his owner. Early on, Clark, Sr. traveled the country doing miscellaneous jobs along the way such as a barber, bartender, and firewood salesman. In 1842, he landed in Muscatine, Iowa where he continued with the occupation of being a barber. He was actually very successful with this at age sixteen. At the same time, Clark began investing in real estate and accumulated a small fortune.

After Clark was married, he and his wife came to be very well-known in Iowa. When they tried to have their 12 year old daughter Susan admitted to public school in Muscatine, she was denied. The Muscatine School Board thought that Susan was unfit to attend their all white school. In 1868, Clark, Sr. filed a lawsuit to the Iowa Supreme Court. He spoke on behalf of his daughter. The court found in the Clark’s favor and Susan was allowed to attend the school. This court case, it could be noted, took place almost 100 years before the notorious Brown v Board of Education case in Kansas. He had to go through the same dilemma with his son when he was denied entry into the University of Iowa. His son, Alexander Clark, Jr., did, however, become the first African American to graduate from the University. Clark, Sr. himself became only the second African American to graduate from the University of Iowa at the age of 58 years old. He became a non-traditional college student to set an example for other young African American men. The father and son went on to practice together in Iowa and Illinois.

This case goes to show that even then African Americans who spoke their voice to government could be heard despite all the other injustices to the people at this time. Clark also became a very well-known member of the Republican Party. He died in Liberia in 1891 while serving as the U.S. Minister to Liberia. He had been appointed by President Harrison. This is thought to have been the highest appointment of an African American by a U.S. President to that point in history.