Biographical Text
Professor Emeritus of Psychology Donald Lewis Clark (August 31, 1926-) was born in Lynchburg, Virginia, the elder son of Edis Webb and Myron Lewis Clark. Clark graduated from Mt. Vernon High School, Fairfax County, Virginia, in 1944 and earned his B.A. degree from George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, in 1950; the B.D. degree from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Wake Forest, North Carolina, in 1956; the M.A. degree from Appalachian State University, Boone, North Carolina, in 1958; and the Ed.D. degree from the University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, in 1963. He served in the Army Air Corps from 1945 to 1946. He also was a Merchant Marine after World War II. Later, he became a bush pilot in the Laurentian Mountains of Canada, flying equipment to a hunting lodge. Dr. Clark married the former M. Sue Stocks, who is a graduate of Appalachian State University with an M.A. degree. Mrs. Clark is the daughter of Lena S. and Leon E. Stocks of Greenville, North Carolina. After graduating from George Washington University, Clark worked for Dale Carnegie in Washington, District of Columbia. Next, he was pastor of the Kittrell, North Carolina, and Middleburg, North Carolina, Baptist churches, followed by chaplain training in the School of Pastoral Care at the Baptist Hospital in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. After receiving his doctorate, Clark was an assistant professor of psychology at Mississippi College, Clinton, Mississippi. From there, he became assistant professor in the Department of Counseling at the University of Kentucky, where he directed the NDEA Counseling and Guidance Institutes. Dr. and Mrs. Clark served in the Peace Corps in Honduras and directed an educational program of fifty Peace Corps volunteers. Later, in 1973, on a Latin American Fellowship, they both taught in Managua, Nicaragua. Dr. Clark taught psychology at the Universidad Centroamericano, and Mrs. Clark taught English as a second language, while also serving as a guidance counselor at the American School. At Appalachian State University, Dr. Clark taught developmental psychology, psychology of personality, and personality assessment, as well as directing both the undergraduate advising program and the undergraduate internship program in the Department of Psychology. His intellectual interest was the integration of psychology and theology, and his publications include: • "Theory of Personality, Illness, and Cure found in the writing of Agnes Sanford and those acknowledging her influence." Journal of Psychology and Theology, 17, 3, 1989. • "An Implicit Theory of Personality, Illness and Cure found in the writings of Neo-Pentecostal faith teachers." Journal of Psychology and Theology, 12, 4, 1984. • Clark, D. L. and Wesley, G. R. "Interpret Your Dreams." Kendall/Hunt, 1975. In 2000 Clark received the Distinguished Senior Contributor Award, a lifetime achievement award, from the Division of Counseling Psychology of the American Psychological Association. Professionally, he is Board Certified by the American Board of Professional Psychology and is a Fellow of the Academy of Counseling Psychology, in which he served for a time as secretary. One of Dr. Clark's interests is advocacy for the mentally ill. He helped to establish the National Alliance for the Mentally i11 of the High Country, and he served on the State Board of North Carolina Alliance for the Mentally 111. Clark was also appointed by Governor Martin to the North Carolina Commission of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Abuse Services, and by the Secretary of Human Resources to the North Carolina Mental Health Planning Council, on which he served as chair. The Watauga County Commissioners appointed him to the New River Area Mental Health, Developmental and Substance Abuse Services Board, where he currently serves, and he was elected to the North Carolina Council of Community Services Board. He also serves on the advisory board of Frye Hospital, South Campus, in Hickory, North Carolina. In 1986, Dr. Clark was ordained as a priest in the Episcopal Church and served as priest of St. Stephens in Morganton, North Carolina, and St. Matthews in Todd, North Carolina, as well as supply priest in most of the Episcopal churches in northwest North Carolina. In 1998, Dr. Clark was one of the first to enter the university's Phased Retirement Program and he retired completely in 2001. He still practices as a licensed psychologist part-time in Mrs. Clark's office in Hickory, North Carolina. His avocational interests include Tai Chi and blogging. Sources: Appalachian State University files and personal correspondence. -Dr. Kay R. Dickson
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