Thomas Clark (Long Beach) Explained

Thomas J. Clark
Order:22nd and 24th
Office:Mayor of Long Beach
Term Start:1975
Term End:1980
Term Start2:1982
Term End2:1984
Predecessor:Edwin W. Wade
Successor:Eunice Sato
Predecessor2:Eunice Sato
Successor2:Ernie Kell
Birth Name:Thomas Joseph Clark, Jr.
Birth Date:13 July 1926
Birth Place:San Diego, California
Death Place:Long Beach, CA
Profession:optometrist
Spouse:Lois (died 2006)

Thomas Joseph Clark, Jr. (July 13, 1926 – May 6, 2020) was an American politician. He served as mayor of Long Beach, California from 1975 to 1980 and from 1982 to 1984, as elected by the Long Beach City Council.

Life and career

Clark was born in San Diego and moved to Long Beach in 1933.[1] He was a graduate of Woodrow Wilson Classical High School[2] and an alumnus of Long Beach City College and the University of California at Berkeley.[3] He was an optometrist.

In addition to serving as mayor, Clark was a member of the city council and its longest serving member, serving from 1965 to 1996.[4] He had also served on the Long Beach City College Board of Trustees (from 1998 to 2013),[5] and as president of the Community College League of California (CCLC), the California Community College Trustee (CCCT) Board, and the League of California Cities.[6] He retired from his optometry practice in 1993, and from public office in 2014.[7] [8] He died in May 2020 at the age of 93.[9]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Orange Coast Magazine. November 1992.
  2. News: Archbold . Rich . Former Long Beach Mayor Tom Clark Dies At 93 . www.Gazettes.com . en.
  3. Web site: Commencement. 1950.
  4. Web site: History.
  5. Web site: Long Beach City College trustee Tom Clark to retire. 23 September 2013.
  6. Web site: Clark Seeks 4th Term.
  7. Web site: Tom Clark, Long Beach's public servant, bids farewell to office: Rich Archbold. 27 June 2014.
  8. Web site: Legend Tom Clark to retire | Viking News . 2014-12-17 . 2016-03-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160304035356/http://www.lbccviking.com/archives/2381 . dead .
  9. https://www.presstelegram.com/2020/05/06/former-long-beach-mayor-tom-clark-dies-at-93/ Former Long Beach Mayor Tom Clark dies at 93