Paul F. Clark (born August 18, 1954) is an American writer who is professor of labor studies at Pennsylvania State University. He is head of the Department of Labor Studies and Employment Relations (until July 1, 2006, the Labor Studies and Industrial Relations). He also holds a professorship in the Department of Health Policy and Administration.
Clark was born to Frederick and Bertha (Mahaney) Clark in 1954 in Millville, New Jersey. He received his bachelor's degree from Bucknell University in 1976. While working on his undergraduate degree, Clark worked for part of 1975 as a researcher for the United Mine Workers of America in Washington, D.C. He married Darlene Ann Gates in 1977. (Darlene Clark is a senior instructor in the Penn State School of Nursing.) They have two children, a son and daughter.
During the 1977-to-1978 academic year, Clark performed graduate studies at the University of Glasgow in Scotland. Hee returned to the United States, and in 1979 received his master of science degree in industrial and labor relations from Cornell University. Clark later received a Ph.D. in public administration from the University of Pittsburgh in 1986.
Clark was a labor extension associate at the Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations in 1979. Later that same year, he was appointed an instructor in the Department of Labor Studies and Employment Relations at Penn State's New Kensington campus, a position he held until 1982. Clark was appointed an assistant professor at Penn State in 1982, and an associate professor in 1989. He also holds an appointment as a faculty associate at Penn State's Center for Work and Family Research and Penn State's Center for Health Care and Policy Research.
Clark's research focuses labor relations and union organizing in the health care industry, transnational labor relations issues in the healthcare industry, union structure and governance, union member commitment, and union democracy.
Clark also educates union leaders, staff, activists and workers about labor law, union administration and union democracy.
Clark has also consulted with the Mine Workers, United Steelworkers, National Association of Letter Carriers and the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO on labor history and research.
Clark is a member of the United Association for Labor Education. He is also a member of the Labor and Employment Relations Association, and served as the organization's Western Pennsylvania chapter president from 1989 to 1990.
Since 1990, he has served on the editorial board of Labor Studies Journal.
Clark received a grant from the Pennsylvania Humanities Council in 1986, and a research grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities in 1990.
In 1993, Clark was named a research fellow at the George Meany Center for Labor Studies
Clark is also a member of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), AFL-CIO.