Edward Young Clarke was the Imperial Wizard pro tempore of the Ku Klux Klan from 1915 to 1922.

His father was the owner of The Atlanta Constitution newspaper from 1870 to 1876, whose managing editor was his brother, Francis Clarke.

In the early 20th century, Clarke joined the Ku Klux Klan, which had been reborn in Atlanta.

[1][2] Along with Elizabeth Tyler, he helped to turn the initially anemic second Ku Klux Klan into a mass-membership organization with a broader social agenda.

In March 1924, he pleaded guilty to violating the Mann Act, after being arrested for a violent attack against a young woman who worked for him.