William Clark (anatomist) facts for kids
William Clark (born April 5, 1788 – died September 15, 1869) was an important British scientist. He was an anatomist, which means he studied the structure of living things, like the human body. He taught at a famous university and helped build a great collection of animal and human parts for study.
Early Life and Education
William Clark was born in Newcastle upon Tyne, a city in England. His father, John Clark, was also a doctor. William went to school in Welton, East Riding of Yorkshire.
In 1804, when he was 16, he started studying at Trinity College, Cambridge. He earned his first degree in 1808. Later, he studied medicine in London. He became a medical doctor in 1827.
A Professor at Cambridge
From 1817 to 1866, Clark was a Professor of Anatomy at the University of Cambridge. This was a very long time, almost 50 years! He was in charge of getting many different animal and human specimens for the university's museum. This collection helped start the School of Biological Sciences at Cambridge. In 1836, he was chosen to be a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a group of very important scientists.
Later Life
In 1818, William Clark became a priest. He was the rector (a type of church leader) of Guiseley, Yorkshire, from 1826 to 1859. Other people usually did the daily church duties for him. In 1863, he had a stroke, which is a serious medical event. He died at his home in Cambridge in 1869.
Family
William Clark married Mary Willis. Her father, Robert Darling Willis, was also a doctor. Their son was John Willis Clark.
