Thomas Clark (Long Beach)

Thomas J. Clark
22nd and 24th Mayor of Long Beach
In office 1975–1980
Preceded by	Edwin W. Wade
Succeeded by	Eunice Sato
In office 1982–1984
Preceded by	Eunice Sato
Succeeded by	Ernie Kell
Personal details
Born	Thomas Joseph Clark Jr. (1926-07-13)July 13, 1926 San Diego, California
Died	May 6, 2020(2020-05-06) (aged 93) Long Beach, CA
Spouse	Lois (died 2006)
Profession	optometrist

Thomas Joseph Clark Jr. (July 13, 1926 – May 6, 2020) was an American politician. He served as mayor of Long Beach, California from 1975 to 1980 and from 1982 to 1984, as elected by the Long Beach City Council.

Life and career

Clark was born in San Diego and moved to Long Beach in 1933.^[1] He was a graduate of Woodrow Wilson Classical High School^[2] and an alumnus of Long Beach City College and the University of California at Berkeley.^[3] He was an optometrist.

In addition to serving as mayor, Clark was a member of the city council and its longest serving member, serving from 1965 to 1996.^[4] He had also served on the Long Beach City College Board of Trustees (from 1998 to 2013),^[5] and as president of the Community College League of California (CCLC), the California Community College Trustee (CCCT) Board, and the League of California Cities.^[6] He retired from his optometry practice in 1993, and from public office in 2014.^[7][8] He died in May 2020 at the age of 93.^[9]

References

1. "Orange Coast Magazine". November 1992.
2. Archbold, Rich. "Former Long Beach Mayor Tom Clark Dies At 93". www.Gazettes.com.
3. "Commencement". 1950.
4. "History".
5. "Long Beach City College trustee Tom Clark to retire". 23 September 2013.
6. "Clark Seeks 4th Term".
7. "Tom Clark, Long Beach's public servant, bids farewell to office: Rich Archbold". 27 June 2014.
8. "Legend Tom Clark to retire | Viking News". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2014-12-17.
9. Former Long Beach Mayor Tom Clark dies at 93