REASON Profile: Edward E. Clark

Among the different approaches taken by those who seek to achieve freedom, political action is increasingly becoming a desirable means. An individual who has worked within the two-party system and now is a leading force in Libertarian Party politics is Edward E. Clark.

Clark is a bright, soft-spoken attorney who is deeply committed to personal freedom. He received his B.A. from Dartmouth College in 1952 and graduated from Harvard Law School in 1957. Clark is employed as associate general counsel for a major oil company, which recently transplanted its headquarters from New York to Los Angeles.

Until August 1971, Clark had been an active Republican and a supporter of economic freedom. He vividly recalls being in Dallas and hearing Nixon's speech imposing wage/price controls. Upon hearing Nixon's program, Clark decided that he had not left the Republican Party, but the Republican Party had left him. So, being politically motivated, he began to look for a libertarian home.

After Nixon's speech, Clark found out about the Society for Individual Liberty, and became a member. He subscribed to REASON and other libertarian journals, then encountered other real-life libertarians for the first time at a Libertarian conference in New York City in fall of 1971. This led Clark to becoming chairman of the embryonic Free Libertarian Party of New York, and his involvement in national Libertarian Party politics.

Clark lives with his attractive wife, Alicia, in the Silverlake area of Los Angeles. He enjoys reading and traveling, and, in addition to publishing various legal articles, has two unpublished spy stories. Clark strongly endorses libertarian political activities as a good means of achieving libertarianism. In addition he promotes such means as education, libertarian professional societies (for doctors, lawyers, etc.), and—as the best way of spreading ideas—speaking to the media as much as possible.

Clark has excellent skills in organizing and building a political organization from the ground up. In addition to being a founder of New York's Free Libertarian Party, he is presently Vice President of the National Libertarian Party as well as Chairman of the Libertarian Party of California. Clark also served as co-campaign chairman of REASON editor Manuel Klausner's unique campaign for Congress last year.

Clark's abilities and hard work in the cause of libertarianism have rendered significant contributions to the growth of the Libertarian Party, and to the cause of freedom.