Member Biography

Henry Alden Clark 

Member
Sessions Office Position District Party
1911-1912       49 Republican
1913-1914       49 Republican
1915-1916       49 Republican

COUNTIES: Erie  


Biography

01/07/1850 - 02/15/1944


Henry Alden Clark (R49) Erie County 1911-1916

Early Life: 

Henry Alden Clark, born January 7, 1850, Harborcreek Township, Erie County, Pennsylvania; Erie Central High School, Erie Academy, 1864, State normal school, Edinboro, Pennsylvania, 1865-1866, Willoughby Collegiate Institute, Willoughby, Ohio, 1866-1867; teacher; Harvard University, 1870-1874, Harvard Law School, LL.B., 1877; admitted bar, Fall River, Massachusetts , 1878; associated, Edison Electric Light, New York; moved, Erie, Pennsylvania, 1882; Edison Corporation, 1887; admitted, Pennsylvania bar, 1884; member, common council of Erie, 1888; bought, editor Erie Gazette, 1890-1892; chairman, Republican City and Erie County committees, 1890; city solicitor of Erie, 1896-1899; elected, Republican Pennsylvania State Senate, 1911-1916; elected, Republican, Sixty-fifth Congress, 1917-1919; resumed the practice of his profession; judge, orphans' court, Erie County 1921-1931; married Sophia (Sophy) Gertrude McCreary, 1878; two children, Sophy Annette and Henry McCreary died, February 15, 1944 Erie, Erie County, Pennsylvania; interment, Erie Cemetery, Erie County, Pennsylvania.

Early Career: 

Admitted, bar, Fall River, Massachusetts, 1878; subsequently associated with the Edison Electric Light interests in New York; moved to Erie, Pennsylvania, 1882; continuing with the Edison Corporation until 1887; admitted, Pennsylvania bar May 1884. Owner, editor, Erie Gazette, 1890-1892.

Authored:

The Harvard Book: a Series of Historical, Biographical, and Descriptive Sketches; volume 1 - Harvard classmate Frederick Onzi Vaille, Henry Alden Clark.

The College Book - by Charles Francis Richardson (Author), Henry Alden Clark (Author)

Pennsylvania Politics:

Member, common council of Erie, 1888.

Chairman, Republican Erie City and Erie County committees, 1890. 

City Solicitor of Erie, 1896-1899. 

Elected, Republican, Pennsylvania State Senate, 49th district, Erie County, 1911, filling the vacant seat of Albert Everton Sisson, resigned; reelected, 1912-1916; not a candidate for reelection; committee assignments, Appropriations, Congressional Apportionment, Exposition Affairs, Finance, Game and Fisheries, Judiciary General (Chairman), Municipal Affairs. 

Judge, orphans' court, Erie County, 1921-1931.

Continued Government Service/National Politics: 

Elected, Republican, United States Sixty-fifth Congress 25th district, (March 4, 1917-March 3, 1919); not a candidate for reelection 1918, Sixty-sixth Congress. 

Legacy: 

Married, Sophia (Sophy) Gertrude McCreary, daughter of first law partner, Brevet Brigadier General David B. McCreary, Pennsylvania State Senate, 49th district, Erie County, 1889-1896. 

David Berkey McCreary  - Pennsylvania Senate Library (pasen.gov)

Cited:

Cox, Harold "Senate Members "C"Wilkes University Election Statistics ProjectWilkes University.

The Pennsylvania Manual, (1916). Miller, H.P., (Compiler). Baker, W.H., (Assistant Compiler). Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, pages 1116, 1123-1126, Biographical Sketches of Senators, page 1093.

Henry Alden Clark, Founder of Crimson in 1873, Pays Tercentenary Visit Here | News | The Harvard Crimson (thecrimson.com)

Henry Alden Clark (1850-1944) - Find a Grave Memorial

 

 

 

 

Congressional Biography

After 3 session(s) serving in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, Henry Alden Clark  went on to serve in congress