Clark, Clarence

Clarence Munroe Clark
Born: August 27, 1859
Died: June 29, 1937
Hometown: Germantown, Pennsylvania, United States
Citizenship: United States
Inducted: 1983

Grand Slam Record
U.S. Doubles 1881
   Singles finalist 1882

Tournament Record
U.S.L.T.A. Secretary

A member of a distinguished Philadelphia family, Clarence Monroe Clark had the distinction of winning the first U.S. doubles title at Newport in 1881. He and Fred Taylor beat Alexander van Rensselaer and Arthur Newbold, 6-5, 6-4, 6-5. Earlier they eliminated the favorites, Dick Sears and James Dwight. The next year at Newport he made it to the singles final, losing to Sears, the original champ, 6-1, 6-4, 6-0. His brother, Joe Clark (named to the Hall of Fame in 1955), won the first Intercollegiate title for Harvard in 1883.

Joe and Clarence tested foreign waters for America, journeying to England in 1883, playing losing two doubles matches against the dominant Renshaw twins, Willie and Ernest. Clarence was the first secretary of the newly formed USTA in 1881 and was, along with Dwight and Eugenius Outerbridge, a guiding light in the organization’s establishment. He was born August 27, 1859, in Germantown, PA, died there June 29, 1937 and was named to the Hall of Fame in 1983.

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