Interview with Thomas D. Clark, June 22, 2000

Interview Summary

Dr. Thomas D. Clark discusses the history of education in Kentucky since the 18th century. He talks about funding of public education through land grants, which he characterizes as a failure. Clark says that education in Kentucky went through a formative decade between 1850 and 1860. He says the Civil War stalled progress in Kentucky public education during a "dark period" after 1870 until the early 20th century. Clark talks about citizen-based educational reform movements throughout Kentucky history including Women's Club initiatives and Bookmobile. He discusses educational reports such as "Kentucky on the March," "Kentucky Designs for her Future," and "The Gates Open Slowly." Clark talks about the history of the University of Kentucky under the leadership of Frank McVey, including important projects such as the building of King Library. He talks about legislative hearings on education before which he testified.

Clark talks about his biographical background with respect to education and his professional academic career. Clark talks about his relationship with committee executive director Bob Sexton. Clark talks about how the committee creates a forum for dialog on education. He discusses the political influences on education in Kentucky. Clark speaks about the desirability of involving more citizens in committee meetings. He says that a reassessment of educational needs by a select group of citizens and community leaders is more important than publishing reports because education as a process is being "warped" to accommodate industrial and commercial interests. Clark gives his assessment of several key members of the Prichard Committee. He recalls his early acquaintance with Ed Prichard when Prichard was an undergraduate student at Princeton. He talks about the ballot box scandal that interrupted Prichard's political career. Clark describes Ed Prichard's leadership of the committee by supplying ideas and focusing on larger issues. He compares the leadership styles of Bob Sexton and Ed Prichard. He describes the role of the Prichard Committee as a "watchdog" of education reform in Kentucky and providing a forum for debate on education. Clark attributes campus unrest of the 1960s to dissatisfaction over higher education as much as issues of civil rights and the war in Vietnam. He cites the demand to "publish or perish" as diminishing the role of teaching, leading to the "insidious" practice of instruction by graduate assistants. Clark talks about the emphasis on testing as a wasteful misdirection of educational resources. He characterizes the Prichard Committee as a "pioneering" effort to reform education among all the states. He criticizes poor revenue generation as an obstacle to modernization in Kentucky.

Interview Keyword

University of Kentucky Educational reform

Interview LC Subject

Education--Kentucky Educational leadership Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence Clark, Thomas Dionysius, 1903-2005 Education--History

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Interview Usage

Interviews may be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, Special Collections, University of Kentucky Libraries.