Edward A. Clark
Edward A. Clark | |
|---|---|
United States Ambassador to Australia | |
| In office 1965–1967 | |
| President | Lyndon B. Johnson |
| Preceded by | William C. Battle |
| Succeeded by | William H. Crook |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 15, 1906 University of Texas |
| Profession | Lawyer, Diplomat |
| Secretary of State of Texas | |
| In office 1937–1939 | |
| Governor | James V. Allred |
| Preceded by | B. P. Matocha |
| Succeeded by | Tom Beauchamp |
Edward Aubrey Clark (July 15, 1906 – September 16, 1992)[1] was an American lawyer, politician, officer and diplomat. He served as the United States Ambassador to Australia from 1965 to 1968.[2]
Early life
He was born in
Early career
He became a county attorney in San Augustine and, in 1932, moved to Austin. He was assistant attorney general of Texas from 1932 to 1935.[1]
In 1935, Clark became assistant to Governor James V. Allred. Soon afterward, he met Lyndon B. Johnson, and the two men became close friends.[citation needed]
Allred appointed Clark secretary of state in 1937. The following year, Clark opened a private law practice with Everett Looney.[1] He also worked as a political lobbyist for the oil industry. One of his main clients was Big Oil, a company owned by Clint Murchison Sr., and Wofford Cain. He was also a member of the Texas State Guard.[citation needed]
Military service
After the
Postwar
In 1944, Clark recruited Don Thomas and his law firm became known as Clark, Thomas and Winters. Over the next few years, it became one of the most influential and successful firms in Texas. Clark also served as chairman of Texas Commerce Bank of Austin and the First National Bank of San Augustine.[1]
In 1948, Clark was appointed as Lyndon Johnson's legal counsel when
After the assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963, Johnson became president. In 1965, Johnson appointed Clark as the US ambassador to Australia.[1]
In 1972, Clark supported
Kennedy assassination conspiracy theories
In 2003, Barr McClellan, an attorney who had been employed by Clark's law firm in Austin, published Blood, Money & Power: How LBJ Killed JFK. It alleged that Johnson and Clark were conspirators in the assassination of Kennedy.[3][4]
According to McClellan, one of the senior partners in the firm had told him that Clark had arranged the assassination.[3][4]
McClellan repeated his allegations in a 2003 episode of Nigel Turner's ongoing documentary television series,
On April 2, 2004, after having three historians examine the charges, The History Channel issued a press release stating that the claim of Johnson's complicity "is entirely unfounded and does not hold up to scrutiny.... [The show] fell short of the high standards that the network sets for itself. The History Channel apologizes to its viewers and to Mrs. Lady Bird Johnson and her family for airing the show."[6]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g Edward Aubrey Clark from the Handbook of Texas Online
- ^ Clark, Anne. Australian Adventure. University of Texas Press, 1969, p. 6.
- ^ a b Mayer, Jane (September 22, 2003). "Explain This One". The New Yorker. New York. Retrieved November 6, 2014.
- ^ a b Publishers Weekly (October 1, 2003). "Blood, Money & Power: How L.B.J. Killed J.F.K." publishersweekly.com. Publishers Weekly. Retrieved November 6, 2014.
- ^ Weber, Bruce (February 5, 2004). "Moyers and Others Want History Channel Inquiry Over Film That Accuses Johnson". The New York Times. New York. Retrieved November 6, 2014.
- ^ Bugliosi, Vincent (2007). Reclaiming History: The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy. W.W. Norton & Company. p. 925.