Albert "Clem" Alter (born [1]) is an American clown, noted for his work as a hospital clown.[2] [3] He is also a mime.[4]
Alter was raised in Greeneville, Tennessee,[5] and graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1969. During the Vietnam War, he was a conscientious objector, and worked with the Catholic Relief Services in Vietnam 1971–1973.[6] He worked as a chemical engineer until 1977, saying later that there was more to life than making money for a million-dollar corporation, and in 1981 he graduated from the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College. Since 1985, he has been teaching with Young Audiences of Oregon, an organization that promotes arts in education.[7]
He toured with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, took part in establishing a clown college in Tokyo, and has performed and taught internationally.[8] In 1994, Alter was the opening act together with Skeeter Reece (as "Alter and Reece") at a Britt Music Festival with the Smothers Brothers.[9] Alter and Reece also worked as hospital clowns together,[10] and Alter has performed at hospitals like the Doernbecher Children's Hospital, the Floating Hospital for Children and Randall Children's Hospital.[11] In 1991, he said that
In the 90s, he was part of the BoZoArtZ musical group, and was the northwest regional vice president of Clowns of America International.[12] As of 2016, he lives in Portland, Oregon.[13]