William Andrews Clark
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| William Andrews Clark | |
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 William A. Clark
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| Born | January 8, 1839 Connellsville, PA, USA |
| Died | March 2, 1925 New York City, USA |
William Andrews Clark (January 8, 1839–March 2, 1925) was an American politician and businessman, involved with mining, banking and railroads.
[edit] Early life
Clark was born in Connellsville, Pennsylvania. He moved with his family to Iowa in 1856 where he taught school and studied law at Iowa Wesleyan College. After working in quartz mines in Colorado, in 1863, Clark made his way to Montana to find his fortune in the gold rush.
[edit] Business career
He settled in the capital of Montana Territory, Bannack, Montana, and began placer mining. Though his claim paid only moderately, Clark invested his earnings in becoming a trader, driving mules back and forth between Salt Lake City and the boomtowns of Montana to transport eggs and other basic supplies.
He soon changed careers again and became a banker in Deer Lodge, Montana. He repossessed mining properties when owners defaulted on their loans, placing him in the mining industry. He made a fortune with small smelters, electric power companies, newspapers, railroads and other businesses, becoming known as one of three "Copper Kings" of Butte, Montana, along with Marcus Daly and F. Augustus Heinze. Between 1884 and 1888, Clark constructed a 34-room, Tiffany-decorated, multimillion dollar home with cutting-edge technology in Butte, Montana. This home now is a bed-and-breakfast and museum known as the Copper King Mansion.
[edit] Political career
Clark served as president of both Montana state constitutional conventions in 1884 and 1889.
Clark yearned to be a statesman and used his newspaper, the Butte Miner, to push his political ambitions. He became a hero in Helena, Montana, by campaigning for its election as the state capital instead of Anaconda. Clark's long-standing dream of becoming a United States Senator resulted in scandal in 1899 when it was revealed that he bribed members of the Montana State Legislature in return for their votes. (At the time, U.S. Senators were chosen by their respective state legislators.) The U.S. Senate refused to seat Clark because of the 1899 bribery scheme, but a later senate campaign was successful, and he served a single, undistinguished term from 1901 until 1907.
[edit] Legacy
Clark died at the age of 86 in his mansion on Fifth Avenue in New York City, one of the 50 richest Americans ever. His art collection was donated to the Corcoran Gallery in Washington, D.C. after his death, importantly enriched that museum's holdings of European as well as American art. The Clark donation also included the construction of a new wing for the Corcoran, known appropriately as the Clark Wing. His son, William Andrews Clark, Jr. offered to the Regents of the University of California, Los Angeles his library, dedicated to his father, of rare books and manuscripts. Today, the William Andrews Clark Memorial Library is one of the world's most elegant and distinguished libraries, with particular strengths in English literature and history (1641 – 1800), Oscar Wilde, and fine printing.
[edit] Trivia
Clark County, Nevada, is named for him, as the city of Las Vegas was established as a maintenance stop for Clark's Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad.
[edit] External links
| Preceded by Lee Mantle |
United States Senator (Class 1) from Montana 1899–1900 Served alongside: Thomas H. Carter |
Succeeded by Paris Gibson |
| Preceded by Thomas H. Carter |
United States Senator (Class 2) from Montana 1901–1907 Served alongside: Paris Gibson, Thomas H. Carter |
Succeeded by Joseph M. Dixon |
