Bennett Champ Clark

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credited to the United States Senate Historical Office

Joel Bennett Clark (January 8, 1890–July 13, 1954), better known as Bennett Champ Clark, was a Democratic United States Senator from Missouri from 1933 until 1945.

The son of Champ Clark, a prominent Democratic Party leader of the early 20th century, Bennett Clark was born in Bowling Green, Missouri.

After graduating the University of Missouri at Columbia in 1912, he earned his law degree at George Washington University. He became parliamentarian of the United States House of Representatives from 1913 to 1917. After serving as a colonel in the United States Army during World War I, Clark began practicing law.

In the 1932 election, Clark was elected to the United States Senate as a Democrat. Clark entered the Senate after Senator Harry B. Hawes resigned on February 3, 1933, a month before his term was to end. Clark was re-elected in the 1938 election, but lost his bid for renomination in the 1944 election.

Clark is perhaps most famous for declaring that Emperor Hirohito should be hanged as a war criminal on the senate floor on January 29, 1944.

Clark was a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit from 1945 until he died in Gloucester, Massachusetts, on July 13, 1954. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

[edit] References

• Biographical Directory of the United States Congress

v • d • e United States Senators from Missouri Class 1: Benton • Geyer • Polk • Henderson • Schurz • Cockrell • Warner • Reed • Patterson • Truman • Briggs • Kem • Symington • Danforth • Ashcroft • Carnahan • Talent • McCaskill Class 3: Barton • Buckner • Linn • Atchison • Green • Johnson • Wilson • Drake • Jewett • Blair • Bogy • Armstrong • Shields • Vest • Stone • Wilfley • Spencer • Williams • Hawes • Clark • Donnell • Hennings • Long • Eagleton • Bond