Necrology

Arthur Kermit Clark '38

Oct. 11, 1916-Aug. 1, 2008

Arthur Kermit Clark '38, involved with music during most of his working life, was born on October 11, 1916, in Utica, NY. A son of Frank J., a police officer, and Gladys Roberts Clark, "Kerm" followed his brother Frank, Jr. '37 to College Hill from Utica Free Academy in 1934. A dedicated musician with a "Rachmaninoff austerity about him when playing the piano," according to The Hamiltonian, he was active in the ­Musical Arts Society while on campus. A pianist since the age of 8, he had attended the Utica Conser­vatory of Music before coming to the Hill.

Soon after Kerm Clark's graduation in 1938, "the winds of war whisked me into defense work," as he later recalled. He was employed by Savage Arms in Utica, first as an inspector. However, a shortage of skilled manpower and especially of engineers led to his rapid promotion to "junior engineer" at the armaments plant. Working long hours, he helped put into production military weapons, such as machine guns, that would be needed after the United States entered World War II. Drafted into the Army in 1942, he served in the European theater, from Britain to North Africa and on to France and occupied Germany. Commissioned as an Infantry lieutenant while in France, he was discharged at the war's end in 1945.

With the assistance of Hamilton's placement service and alumni contacts, Kerm Clark began a career in retailing as an assistant buyer for the J.L. Hudson department store in Detroit, MI. He was a buyer in Hudson's music department when, on December 27, 1946, with his brother Frank as best man, he and Marion MacKenzie were wed in Detroit. During 10 years with Hudson, he gained considerable experience in merchandising musical instruments from harmonicas to grand pianos, and also saw the introduction of the electronic organ, in which he took a great interest. After leaving Detroit, he sold pianos and organs on the retail level for such companies as Wurlitzer and Thomas Organ before switching to the wholesale end of the business by joining the Baldwin Piano and Organ Co. in Cincinnati, OH. He became regional sales manager for Baldwin's organ division in the Midwest but was soon appointed district sales manager for the company in New England. He resided in Massachusetts and retired in 1980.

While living in retirement in Easthampton, Kerm Clark turned from selling pianos and organs to teaching people how to play them. He offered instruction a few days a week in his home and had some 30 students ranging in ages from 9 to 70. They appreciated his extraordinary patience with them and his obvious enjoyment of teaching. When not at the keyboard for personal pleasure or to teach, he spent as much time as possible playing golf, his other favorite activity. He continued to "walk the links" into his 90s. In addition, he was an ardent hobbyist who collected such things as antique padlocks and engaged in model railroading. A dedicated alumnus, he also ­visited the Hill frequently, assisted the College with its fund-raising activities, and served as president as well as reunion chairman of his class.

A. Kermit Clark, a former ­deacon of the Haydenville ­Congregational Church and one-time president of the Northampton Chamber of Commerce, died on August 1, 2008, while hospitalized in Northampton, at the age of 91. A widower since 1999, he is survived by two sons, John O. and Oren W. Clark, and five grandchildren as well as his brother Frank. Also surviving is his late-in-life close friend, Aurea Laplante, who often accompanied him on his recent visits to the Hill.

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