Bennett Champ Clark

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Bennett Champ Clark was a Democratic American politician and judge. Born Joel Bennett Clark in 1890 in Bowling Green, Missouri, he served as a U.S. senator from Missouri from 1933 to 1945 and later as a federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, from 1945 until his death in 1954. He came from a political family; his father, Champ Clark, was the Speaker of the House.

As a senator, Clark was known for his isolationist views in the 1930s. He opposed several New Deal programs at times, and was seen as part of the conservative side of Congress. At the same time, he supported liberal ideas such as Social Security, help for homebuilding, and better working conditions. He chaired the Senate Committee on Interoceanic Canals and was a member of key foreign affairs discussions. In 1944, he introduced the GI Bill, helping returning veterans get education and other benefits, despite objections about potential abuses.

Clark had a distinguished military background. He served in World War I, rising to the rank of colonel, and later joined the Missouri National Guard. He was active in veterans groups, including the American Legion, and he helped organize the first American Legion convention in Paris, becoming its first national commander. He practiced law in St. Louis after the war and wrote a biography of John Quincy Adams.

In 1945, President Harry S. Truman nominated Clark to the federal judiciary. He was confirmed and served as an associate justice on the D.C. Circuit Court from 1945 until his death on July 13, 1954, in Gloucester, Massachusetts. He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Clark married Miriam Marsh in 1922, with three children, and after Miriam’s death in 1943 he married British actress Violet Heming in 1945, in a ceremony attended by President Truman. He received honorary degrees from several universities in recognition of his work.