John Gordon Clark

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John Gordon Clark
Born 1926
United States
Died 1999
Vermont, United States
Residence United States
Nationality American
Fields psychiatry
Institutions Harvard University
Alma mater Harvard Medical School, M.D.
McAlester College, B.S.
Known for research on cults
Notable awards Leo J. Ryan Award, 1985
Psychiatrist of the Year, Psychiatric Times, 1991

John Gordon Clark (1926 – 1999) was a Harvard psychiatrist and authority in research on the alleged damaging effects of cults[1].

He was the target of harassment from Scientologists after he testified against them to the Vermont congress in 1976.[2]

His similarly harassed colleague Louis Jolyon West remarked: "I was lucky that I was a full-time professor in a big university like UCLA. Others, like Harvard's Jack Clark. who was primarily in private practice, nearly had their lives ruined by the Scientologists." (Psychiatric Times, 1991)

In 1985, John G. Clark received the Leo J. Ryan Award, named for the California congressman murdered in Jonestown.

The Psychiatric Times, when naming him 1991 psychiatrist of the year, described him as "a quiet, courageous man of conviction, who was fighting an all-too-lonely and unappreciated battle against well-financed, ruthless organizations."

Contents

[edit] Works

  • Testimony of John Clark regarding cults Read on 3rd November 1977 by Leo J. Ryan to the United States House of Representatives [1]
  • Clark, John G. Cults. Journal of the American Medical Association. 242, 279-281. 1979
  • Clark, J.G., et al.: Destructive cult conversion. Weston, MA: American Family Foundation. 1981
  • Clark, John G.: On the further study of destructive cultism. In Halperin (ed.), 363-368 1983
  • Langone, Michael D. and John G. Clark, Jr.: New religions and public policy: research implications for social and behavioural scientists Weston (MA.): American Family Foundation 1983

[edit] Awards

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Dr. John Clark, 73, Psychiatrist was authority on danger of cults, Tom Long, Globe Staff, 10/09/99, The Boston Globe
  2. ^ John Clark, 73, Psychiatrist Who Studied Sects, New York Times, October 18, 1999, Eric Nagourney
    The Church of Scientology objected strongly to Clark's assertions, and the church and Clark battled in court. Clark said the church had engaged in a campaign of harassment against him. In 1988, he settled with the church and received an undisclosed amount of money, but agreed never to discuss the group publicly again.

[edit] External links

Scientology Portal
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Persondata
NAME Clark, John Gordon
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION American psychiatrist
DATE OF BIRTH 1926
PLACE OF BIRTH United States
DATE OF DEATH 1999
PLACE OF DEATH Vermont, United States