J. “Dudley” Clark III was a seasoned history teacher when he joined Cardigan Mountain School’s Summer Session faculty in 1980. He joined the full-time faculty the following year, drawn by the close-knit community and impressed by the type of boys he found at Cardigan. When a 1988 student asked about his post-Cardigan plans, Clark said simply, “I’m going to keep teaching ’til they drag me out of here.”
In fact, Clark remained a dedicated teacher, coach, and mentor at Cardigan for 30 years and—although he retired from Cardigan in 2010—he never actually left. He continued driving the school bus and Zamboni, transporting students for medical appointments, washing dishes, playing tennis, delivering donuts to the Cardigan campus once a week, bringing mail to faculty and students, and volunteering anywhere else he could. He was a constant figure at the School’s sporting events, whether on a sideline, at the scoring table, or managing the penalty box.
Clark’s extraordinary kindness was also felt beyond the Cardigan community. He volunteered often, generously supported a variety of nonprofits, and regularly donated blood. Clark was frequently found delivering Sunday newspapers to homes in Canaan, visiting the elderly, riding his speedy moped, helping someone in need, or walking someone else’s dog. A member of the Heritage Society, Clark left a bequest in support of those priorities that would best serve the School he loved so dearly. Today, his legacy is felt within Wallach, the academic space his support helped establish in 2020, as well as through The J. Dudley Clark H'0S Scholarship Fund, which provides financial aid to deserving young men who otherwise would not be able to attend Cardigan Mountain School.