Kenneth Clark
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Dr. Kenneth F. Clark, Professor Emeritus (Economic Geology), ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ and Senior Fellow – SEG, passed away March 5, 2022 in El Paso, Texas following a brief illness. Kenneth was born April 4, 1933 in Liverpool, U.K. |
Upon receiving his BSc. (Hons.) in Geology and Physics from The University of Durham, England in 1956, Kenneth began his professional career as a Field Geologist for Anglo-American Corp. of South Africa, where he was involved in reconnaissance exploration and project evaluation programs for gold in Tanzania and alluvial diamond deposits in Namibia from 1956 to 1960. He was subsequently accepted to graduate program at The University of New Mexico where he received his M.S. – Geology degree in 1962, completing his thesis on hypogene metal zoning of the Lordsburg District, NM. Kenneth then went on to complete his PhD in Economic Geology at UNM in 1966, where his dissertation under the late Dr. Vincent Kelly, focused on the molybdenum porphyry deposits of the Eagle Nest Quadrangle, NM. Additionally, during this time Kenneth completed parallel courses in mining and metallurgy at the Colorado School of Mines and worked as a contracted exploration geologist in the western U.S. for Climax Metals.
Dr. Kenneth Clark began his academic career as an Assistant Professor in Economic Geology at Cornell University (1966-71). Subsequently, from 1971 – 1980, he served as Associate Professor of Economic Geology and Geophysics at The University of Iowa. It was during his tenure at Iowa that his focus on the metalliferous deposits of Mexico began. Subsequently, in 1981 Kenneth accepted a position at the University of Texas at El Paso where he served as Professor of Economic Geology. In addition, that same year he assumed the role as Business Manager of PUBCO, the publisher of Economic Geology, a position he held for 15 years until 1996.
It was during his tenure at ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ that Kenneth’s studies and investigations of the mineral endowment and metalliferous deposits of Mexico and the Southwestern U.S. expanded in scope. A prolific writer and researcher, Kenneth was principal author to over 150 published research papers, articles and abstracts, many of which focused on the economic geology of the Southwestern U.S. and Mexico. This included the Geología Economica de México (2009) in which Kenneth Clark, along with Guillermo Salas-Pizá and Rodolfo Cubillas-Estrada served as principal editors on this 953 page compendium publication with documentation covering 110 separate metallic ore and industrial minerals deposits throughout Mexico. Kenneth also served as SEG 1993 Thayer Lindsley Visiting Lecturer on Metallogenic Provinces and Epochs of Mexico and Gold & Silver Deposits of Mexico.
Upon retirement in 2001 from ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ Kenneth was conveyed Emeritus status. Known for his technical discipline, Dr. Clark served as a positive and lasting influence among his graduate students. Accordingly, it was a former students’ contribution in 2018 that Kenneth was honored by ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ with in the creation of the Kenneth and Patricia Clark Distinguished Chair in Economic Geology, in recognition of his career contributions. Importantly, this has formally endowed the study of economic geology at ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ, which began in 1913 as The Texas State School of Mining and Metallurgy. In September 2019, Dr. Antonio Arribas, SEG’s 2013 President, became the inaugural holder of the Kenneth F. and Patricia Clark Distinguished Chair.
Lewis Teal, Senior Fellow SEG