James "Ed" Clark

James Edwin Clark, PhD, PE passed away July 20, 2021. Born in Winnsboro, SC in 1933 to James Edward and Annie Mae Clark, Professor Clark is survived by his wife, Becky Jo Davis Clark; his daughters, Teresa Clark Gray (David) and Melissa Clark Janse (Roy); his son, Davis Edward Clark (Tina); seven grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. J. Edwin Clark served in the Air Force during the Korean conflict. He graduated from University of South Carolina with his B.S in 1957, his M. E. in 1964, and earned his Ph.D. at North Carolina State in 1967, all in Civil Engineering. He worked for three years designing bridges and roads in private industry before becoming an instructor of Civil Engineering at the University of South Carolina, then North Carolina State University, followed by a stint as an assistant professor of Civil Engineering at Mississippi State. Professor Clark then taught graduate students in Transportation at Clemson University in 1970 for 26 years, where he began as an associate professor and earned his full professorship, retiring as a Professor Emeritus of Civil Engineering. He served as the Vice President and President of the Institute of Traffic Engineers Southern Section. His professional experience included Deputy Director of the State Energy Programs Office and Director of Transportation Technology Transfer Service. In addition to his Clemson University service, Professor Clark acted as a consultant as an Expert Witness. Dr. Clark also led a US contingency team with the International Trade Symposium to Panama, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Guatemala in Central America. Professor Clark was awarded "Transportation Engineer of the Year" in 1991 by the South Carolina Section of the Institute of Transportation Engineers (SCSITE). He was selected for membership in Phi Kappa Phi, Society of Sigma Xi, and Chi Epsilon. Teaching was his calling and passion, and Professor Clark especially championed aspiring female engineers. In 2001, the Stafford-Clark scholarship was established by his engineering peers in his and Professor Don Stafford's honor. Professor Clark established the Dr. James Edwin Clark Student Assistance Endowment for Transportation Engineering in 2012. Professor Clark served as a deacon for the First Baptist Church of Clemson, where he was an active member for more than 40 years. He practiced service to his community and to his students. He chaired the Board of Architectural Review for the city of Clemson and contributed his expertise to anything related to "transportation" in that city. Professor Clark embodied integrity, dignity, and humility. He was dedicated to family: well loved, well respected. He will be sorely missed. Memorial services will be held at 2 PM, Sunday, July 25 at First Baptist Church of Clemson. The family will receive friends from 1 to 1:50 PM, Sunday prior to the service in the Family Life Center. In lieu of flowers, memorials made be made to the Clemson University Endowment, Dr. James Edwin Clark Student Assistance Endowment for Transportation Engineering, 110 Daniel Drive, Clemson, SC 29631, Attn: Jeff Cogburn. Please visit clemson.edu/giving. This is a scholarship awarded to outstanding graduate student(s) enrolled in the Civil Engineering graduate program with the intent of pursuing a career as a traffic/transportation engineer. Visit RobinsonFuneralHomes.com or Duckett-Robinson Funeral Home, Central-Clemson Commons.