He attended Rose Polytechnic Institute in Terre Haute, Indiana, but left school due to a lung injury during track and field practice.

[3] After leaving school, Clark returned to Idaho and engaged in farming, mining, and cattle raising.

[7][8][9] During his two-year term, a state tuberculosis hospital was authorized, a judicious pardon and parole system was installed, and junior college districts were created.

Clark lost the Democratic primary for a second term to his predecessor, C. Ben Ross,[10] who ran for United States Senate in 1936 against longtime incumbent William Borah.

Ross lost the general election in 1938 to C. A. Bottolfsen; Clark left office on January 2, 1939, and returned to Idaho Falls and his private interests.