William S. Clark

William Smith Clark (Japaneseウイリアム· ·スミスクラーク; born July 31, 1826 in Ashfield, Franklin County, Massachusetts, † March 9, 1886 in Amherst, Massachusetts ) was an American high school teacher. He is best known in Japan for his role as O- yatoi gaikokujin.

He was married since 1853 with Harrietta K. Richards, who bore him 11 children.

Life

William Smith Clark was born the only son of Dr. Atherton common Clark and his second wife Harriet Smith Clark. He spent his childhood in Ashfield and Cummington.

1841 Clark began his education at Williston Seminary, East Hampton, which he completed in 1844. In the autumn of the same year he began his studies at Amherst College, he graduated in 1848. Then he taught until 1850 at the Williston Seminary natural sciences. Then he went to Germany, where he studied at the University of Göttingen botany and chemistry, and in 1852 Dr. phil. doctorate. Back in the States, Clark taught from 1852 to 1867 as a professor of botany, chemistry and zoology at his alma mater, the Amherst College. From 1867 to 1879 he served as president of the new Massachusetts Agricultural College.

Clarke's academic career was interrupted by the American Civil War in which he fought from 1861 to 1863 on the side of the Union and, most recently served with the rank of Colonel in the 21st Volunteer Infantry Regiment. He was then chosen in the late 1860s, several times in the House of Representatives from Massachusetts.

1876 ​​traveled Clarke at the request of the Meiji government to Sapporo, where he was involved in the construction of the Agricultural University Sapporo under Kiyotaka Kuroda and as its first vice - president acted. In memory he remained there in particular by his parting words at the end of his eight- month long stay: " Boys, be ambitious! " ( "Boys, be ambitious! ").