A former Army drill instructor who gained fame during the 1980s as the no-nonsense principal of a tough New Jersey high school will speak here March 28.
Joe Clark, now a writer, lecturer and consultant, will be featured for a free public program that begins at 8 p.m. in Lee Hall Auditorium. "Fight One More Round" will be his topic.
Clark's campus appearance is part of the Campus Activities Board's 1996 lecture series. On the night before his visit, CAB will present a free showing of "Lean on Me," the 1989 movie about Clark that starred Mississippi native and Oscar nominee Morgan Freeman. The movie begins at 8 p.m. on the 27th in the Union small auditorium.
In 1983, Clark became principal of Eastside High School in Patterson, N.J. On his first day of class, a stabbing took place on the school grounds. Within two years, however, Eastside was declared a model school by New Jersey's governor and, in 1986, Clark was named one of the nation's 10 "Principals of Leadership." He resigned as principal in 1990.
In addition to a movie, Clark was the subject of a Time magazine cover story and a "60 Minutes" profile. He also appeared on segments of "The Phil Donahue Show" and ABC's "Nightline."
"Quality Education by Quality Managers" is Clark's latest pursuit. He helped to form the Diversified Educational Management Consortium, a partnership of leaders in various disciplines who help identify problems in school districts and offer alternative solutions for their educational programs.
A graduate of William Patterson College and Seton Hall University, Clark wrote about his experiences in a book titled "Laying Down the Law" [no longer in print]. He currently is writing a second book.
For more information on Clark's lecture, telephone Beth K. Waltrip at 325-2930.