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"We know how to make the most out of our students' skills and talents."

About Our School

Who is Joseph

Samuel Clark?

 

 

 

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Joseph Samuel Clark (June 7, 1871-November 3, 1944) was an African-American academic administrator who spent most of his career in Louisiana.  He was the head of Baton Rouge College and president of Southern University and A&M college, both historically black colleges, where he served in total from 1901 to 1938.  During the years from 1914 to 1938, he led the development of Southern, designated as a land grant college in 1890 and moved to the Baton Rouge area in 1914.

 

Clark was a co-founder of several African-American organizations and served in leadership roles at the state and national level in associations for African-American educators.  In 1931, he declined an offer of the ambassadorship to Liberia by Republican President Herbert Hoover, as he was devoted to his mission of developing Southern University.

 

Joseph Samuel Clark was born on June 7, 1871 in Sparta, an unincorporated community in Bienville Parish, Louisiana, to Philip and Jane Clark.  He attended local public schools, which were segregated, and also had some private study.  Later, he attended two preparatory colleges (equivalent to today’s high school) before going to Leland college, a historically black college.  He graduated in 1901 with a bachelor’s degree.  He also did some post-graduate work at the University of Chicago and Harvard University.

CORE BELIEFS

 

WE BELIEVE:

 

  • Children are our most valuable resource.

 

  • All children can learn and must be provided equitable opportunities to learn.

 

  • Students learn best when they are actively engaged in the learning process.

 

  • Our curriculum must be comprehensive in that it builds skills necessary for success in a culturally diverse society.

 

  • All students and staff members have the right to work and learn together in a safe and orderly environment.

 

  • A student’s self-esteem is enhanced by a positive relationship and mutual respect among students and staff.

 

  • Continuous professional improvement and growth opportunities for all staff members are crucial to the success of any educational program.

 

  • Partnerships among students, parents, community, and schools are vital for the development of all children.

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