UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Herald Ray Clark was born on October 18, 1890 in Farmington, Utah. His parents were Amasa Lyman Clark and Alice Charlotte Steed Clark.

Herald graduated from Brigham Young High School in Provo in 1910 with a High School Diploma. He married Mable Hone on June 9, 1915 in Salt Lake City, Utah.

He then studied at BYU, graduating with an AB degree in Commerce in the BYU Class of 1918. He received an MBA in Business Administration at the University of Washington in 1924. He also studied at the Rochester Business Institute, the University of Utah, the University of California, and Ohio State University.

Herald was a veteran of World War I. He first joined the BYU faculty in 1913 as an instructor in accounting and eventually served as Dean of the College of Commerce (now Business) from 1934 to 1951.

But Dr. Herald R. Clark was known nationally for other reasons.

First, he served as chair of the BYU Lyceum Concerts Committee from 1913 to his death in 1966. He very interested in bringing culture to BYU. He worked hard to bring the world's finest artists, speakers, and musical organizations to Provo. He had a lyceum series that ran for decades and he brought people like Helen Keller, Pearl S. Buck, Robert Frost, Rachmaninov to this campus, kind of a remote campus even today.

Second, he was also a collector of a vast number of art objects for BYU.

In May 1937, in a single acquisition, BYU took possession of 85 paintings and drawings by Maynard Dixon. Harold R. Clark was a man whose discipline was economics, working in a university whose primary objective at the time was the education of teachers. He was not only attracted to the ground-breaking work of a contemporary artist, but was also negotiating a major acquisition for the university -- all within the context of the Great Depression.

His action and its effect are most remarkable. Until the time of the transaction, there had been no institutional commitment to acquiring art at Brigham Young University. A few works of art had been given to BYU, but no one had ever purchased a group of works for the university, let alone on the scale of this purchase, which focused upon one significant artist. Clearly, Dr. Clark's foresight was inspired.

The Herald R. Clark Building, built largely from profits of the BYU Bookstore because of his genius, was named in his honor. Proceeds from the bookstore also aided in building the first BYU Stadium and Stadium House, the George Albert Smith Fieldhouse, and the Ernest L. Wilkinson Student Center.

In May 1937, in a single acquisition, Brigham Young University took possession of 85 paintings and drawings by Maynard Dixon. Picture it: a man whose discipline is economics, working in a university whose primary objective at the time was the education of teachers, not only being attracted to the ground-breaking work of a contemporary artist but also negotiating a major acquisition for the university - all within the context of the Great Depression.

His action and its effect are most remarkable. Until the time of the transaction, there had been no institutional commitment to acquiring art at Brigham Young University. A few works of art had been given to BYU, but no one had ever purchased a group of works for the university, let alone on the scale of this purchase, which focused upon one significant artist. Clearly, Dr. Clark's foresight was inspired.

Dr. Herald R. Clark, who was at the time dean of the College of Commerce, arranged the purchase with family funds. Given the national recognition that Dixon has received over the intervening 60-plus years, one can't help but admire the adventurous and sensitive nature of this one act.



~ ~ ~ ~ People are very surprised to learn that Brigham Young University owns the largest Dixon collection in the United States and it’s quite a wonderful story as to how that came to happen. There was an individual at BYU in the 1930s, by the name of Herald R. Clark, who was dean of the business school, who may have seen some of Dixon’s paintings on exhibit in Utah. We really don’t know, but what we do know is that he saw, in the St. Louis dispatch, reproductions of the Forgotten Man series and the Maritime Strike series. Herald R. Clark was an economist first and foremost. He was very, very touched by the pathos in these works and took it upon himself to make a personal and unofficial visit to Dixon in San Francisco. Finally tracks him down and the two meet, go to a bar together, Herald R. Clark has milk. I don’t know what Dixon had. And they talk about a potential acquisition of the university of some of his art. I do know also that Herald R. Clark had lost money in the crash, many people had, so again he brought a very personal view…you know what, let’s not put that in the film because the family might not like that. They were a little, they didn’t want to tell me too much about that, and the fact that it was actually somebody in the Clark family that bought the paintings because BYU didn’t have money to buy art in the ‘30s. Herald R. Clark was also very interested in bringing culture to BYU. He had a lyceum series that ran for decades and he brought people like Helen Keller, Pearl S. Buck, Robert Frost, Rachmaninov to this campus, kind of a remote campus and so it’s not unusual that he would start thinking let’s bring some art here, but what art and why Maynard Dixon? It’s because he was so moved by that particular series of the Forgotten Man. So he travels to San Francisco and in a very short amount of time he contracts with him to buy about 85 paintings and drawings that really cover a good bit of Maynard’s career, for the sum of $3,700. I always wondered was it because it was 1937 that it was $3,700. He establishes a lifelong correspondence with Maynard Dixon. They’re very fond of each other. Their letters back and forth until Maynard’s death really, are just full of affection and Herald R. Clark tried to get Maynard Dixon to BYU to talk to the classes in front of his art and it, unfortunately, never happened. Dixon kept trying to come and his failing health prevented that from ever occurring. ~ ~ ~ ~ Herald Ray Clark was born on October 18, 1890 in Farmington, Utah. His parents were Amasa Lyman Clark and Alice Charlotte Steed Clark. Herald was a veteran of World War I. Herald married Mable Hone on June 9, 1915 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Herald R. Clark died on May 24, 1966 in Provo, Utah. His interment, Provo City Cemetery, Utah.

Although it is not generally known, the Herald R. Clark Building was originally constructed as a wing for a new administration building. However, just at that time the campus master plan was changed, and the structure became an independent building. It was designed as a bookstore to serve the fast-growing student body and served in this capacity until construction of the Wilkinson Student Center in 1965. Also housed in the building were the campus Post Office, the Placement Bureau, the Purchasing Department, the Housing Office, student offices, student publications, the Extension Division, Audio-Visual Aids, and the Campus Development Office.

Herald R. Clark was many things to many different people. He was a son, husband, father, grandfather, friend, educator, manager, dean, and bishop. He was upbeat, positive, modest, humble, introspective and a fountain of knowledge. He treated others with love and respect no matter their position, he encouraged students and made them feel valuable and priceless. He was a master educator and was a master at the art of instant friendship. He was a businessman and a lover of all things BYU. He was a patron of the Arts and he brought a new sense of sophistication to Provo. He was a man of culture and refinement. He was beloved.

Even though Clark came from a background in business, he had a deep love for the fine arts. He desired the students at BYU to have exposure to great artists and thinkers of the time and assisted in bringing world renowned musicians, conductors, and guest speakers to the campus. Clark directed a lyceum series for 53 years , from 1913 to 1966, during which time such luminaries as Art Buchwald, Pearl S. Buck, Robert Frost, Helen Keller, and Carl Sandburg came to speak. He was also instrumental in bringing eminent performers to BYU, among them Bela Bartok, Sergei Rachmaninoff, the Vienna Choir Boys, the Boston Symphony, and the Berlin Philharmonic.

With the help of Herald R. Clark he brought numerous performers to this small college. Herald R. Clark was the Dean of the College of Commerce (Business) at Brigham Young University spanning several decades. Even though Clark came from a background in business, like Dr. Harris he had a deep love for the fine arts.

Harris and Clark desired the students at BYU to have exposure to great artists and thinkers of the time and assisted in bringing world renowned musicians, conductors, and guest speakers to the campus.

Herald R. Clark directed a lyceum series for 53 years, from 1913 to 1966, during which time such luminaries as Pearl S. Buck, Robert Frost, Helen Keller, Robert F. Kennedy, and Carl Sandburg came to speak. He was also instrumental in bringing eminent performers to BYU, among them Bela Bartok, Sergei Rachmaninoff, the Vienna Choir Boys, the Boston Symphony, and the Berlin Philharmonic.

In addition to supporting the performing arts, Harris acquired about seven hundred art works and had them hung in the offices, halls, and classrooms on the Lower Campus.

In those days the entire school was located on the Lower Campus, with only a few buildings on the Upper Campus. Budgets were tight, but Harris had a clever way of acquiring art. He gave tuition credit to family and friends of artists in exchange for paintings. Several of the paintings of Minerva Teichert were acquired in this way.

Herald R. Clark spoke at the ribbon cutting and opening of the building named in his honor in March, 1953. It was dedicated with twenty-two other buildings on May 26, 1954. Dean Clark, who had been a student at BYU, joined the faculty in 1913 as an instructor in accounting and was dean of the College of Commerce (later Business) from 1934 to 1951. The Herald R. Clark Building was paid for largely from profits of the Bookstore during his managership. Dean Clark was a member of the lyceum concert committee from 1913 until his death in 1966 and was responsible for an outstanding record of bringing the world's finest artists and musical organizations to Provo.