Dick Clark (senator)

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For the U.S. counterterrorism official, see Richard Clarke

Senator Dick Clark

Richard Clarence (Dick) Clark (born September 14, 1928 in Paris, Linn County, Iowa) represented the state of Iowa in the United States Senate from 1973 to 1979.

Clark, a Democrat, was only successful in his first election for the Senate when, in 1972, he defeated the Republican incumbent, Jack R. Miller. Clark received 662,637 votes (55%) to Miller's 530,525 (44%). American Independent Party candidate William Rocap received 8,954 votes (1%).

Clark ran for reelection in 1978, but lost to Roger Jepsen.

Clark was then appointed by President Jimmy Carter to be Ambassador at Large and United States Coordinator for Refugee Affairs in 1979. Since 1980 he has served as a senior fellow at the Aspen Institute for Humanistic Studies.

He was educated first at the University of Maryland, Wiesbaden, and the University of Frankfort from 1950 to 1952, while serving in the United States Army. He completed his BA in 1953 at Upper Iowa University and his Masters in 1956 at the University of Iowa.

Prior to being a Senator, Clark was a professor at Upper Iowa University, and then served as an assistant to senator John Culver. While working for Culver, Clark helped put together a campaign that kept Culver in Congress in 1966.

As senator, he served on the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, the Committee on Environment and Public Works and the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.

Senator Clark also served on the Foreign Relations Committee and chaired the Subcommittee on Africa. Through this chairmanship, he was a much sought-after expert on the crisis in Angola.