Jerry Clack facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jerry Clack
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| Born | July 22, 1926 New York City, U.S.
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| Died | April 15, 2019 (aged 92) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
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| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Princeton University ('46) University of Pittsburgh ('58, '62) Duquesne University ('77) |
| Occupation | University professor |
Jerry Clack (born July 22, 1926 – died April 15, 2019) was an American professor and activist. He taught Classical Languages at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh. Mr. Clack was also very active in politics and public relations. He helped many organizations, including the Opera Theater of Pittsburgh and Citizens for Global Solutions. He passed away in April 2019 when he was 92 years old.
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Jerry Clack's Early Life
Jerry Clack was born in New York City on July 22, 1926. His mother was Mildred Taylor Van Dyke from Pittsburgh. His father, Christopher Thrower Clack, was from Boydton, Virginia. Because his father worked for a company that had offices overseas, Jerry spent his youngest years living abroad.
He first lived in London, England. Then, his family moved to Düsseldorf, Germany. Sadly, his father passed away in Germany in 1931. Jerry and his mother then moved back to Pittsburgh. He went to Fulton School and later Peabody High School in the early 1940s. In 1943, he was accepted into Princeton University. He graduated from Princeton in the spring of 1946.
Working for a Better World
Helping the United Nations
After college, Jerry Clack worked briefly at the Swedish Embassy in Washington, D.C. In 1947, he joined the United States National Commission for UNESCO. UNESCO is a special part of the United Nations. It works to build peace through education, science, and culture.
Jerry Clack worked with UNESCO for four years, from 1947 to 1951. This experience made him very interested in international groups. He believed strongly in the United Nations. He often quoted Archibald MacLeish, who called UNESCO "a bridge of dreams over the chasms of despair." This means it helps connect people and ideas across big problems.
He helped organize documents for the U.S. team at UNESCO meetings. He also helped manage programs in Washington, D.C.
Fighting Polio with the March of Dimes
In 1952, Jerry Clack returned to Pittsburgh. He started working in public relations. This means he helped companies and groups share their message with the public. He worked for well-known organizations like the American Automobile Association and The Coca-Cola Company. He also helped the American Heart Association and the March of Dimes.
The March of Dimes became very important to him. At that time, polio was a terrible disease. It made thousands of people sick every year. In 1953, Jerry Clack became the director of the March of Dimes in Allegheny County.
During his 15 years there, two important polio vaccines were created. One was by Jonas Salk at the University of Pittsburgh. The other was an oral vaccine by Albert Sabin. Jerry Clack helped with mass vaccination programs. These programs showed that the Salk vaccine worked very well. Later, he helped the March of Dimes change its focus. It started to study and prevent birth defects. This is still their main goal today. He also helped raise money for the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in California.
Becoming a Professor
Teaching Ancient Languages
Jerry Clack earned his first degree in Classics from Princeton in 1946. While working for the March of Dimes, he continued his studies. He earned a master's degree (M.A.) in Classics in 1958. Then, he got his Ph.D. in Classics in 1962. Both of these degrees were from the University of Pittsburgh.
At first, he didn't plan to become a Classics professor. But in 1968, Duquesne University offered him a job. He decided to turn his lifelong hobby into his career. He often joked that he brought the modern business world to the Romans and Greeks.
Supporting Classical Studies
Jerry Clack was very active in supporting his field. He worked with groups like the American Philological Association. He also spent a lot of time with the Classical Association of the Atlantic States (CAAS). He served as its President from 1978 to 1979. Later, he was the Executive Director from 1993 to 2001. He also edited the CAAS journal, The Classical World, for 15 years. CAAS even created an annual lecture series named after him.
At Duquesne University, he led the Classics Department twice. He also helped with many university committees. These included groups that decided what students would learn and how professors would be promoted. He retired from Duquesne in December 2011, when he was 85 years old.
He also wrote books about his field. He was especially interested in the Hellenistic age. This was a time in ancient history after Alexander the Great. He wrote four textbooks about Hellenistic poetry and epigrams. These books included An Anthology of Alexandrian Poetry (1982) and Meleager: The Poems (1992).
Making a Difference in His Community
In Pittsburgh, Jerry Clack was a strong supporter of Citizens for Global Solutions. This group works to make the United Nations stronger. They believe that countries working together can achieve world peace. This was a belief he held throughout his life. In 2010, he received an award for his 50 years of service to the United Nations.
He also served as the Chairman of the Board for the Opera Theater of Pittsburgh. This group aims to bring new and interesting operas to the city. They also help young singers and encourage American operas. In 2017, he received a national award for his work with opera.
His Education Journey
- Princeton University - Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Classics, 1946
- University of Pittsburgh - Master of Arts (M.A.) in Classics, 1958
- University of Pittsburgh - Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Classics, 1962
- Duquesne University - Master of Arts (M.A.) in Spanish Language and Literature, 1977
