Miami Herald<\/em>. His work has been honored by the Florida Society of Newspaper Editors, the Florida Magazine Association and the Florida Historical Society.<\/p>\nHis face was familiar to many for his work with WUCF, where he helped bring Central Florida\u2019s history to life through his contributions to both Central Florida Roadtrip and Florida Road Trip. Clark allowed the community and future generations to see Central Florida through his eyes through his contributions to Central Florida Roadtrip and Florida Road Trip, says Jennifer Cook, executive director of WUCF.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom the very first season of WUCF\u2019s Central Florida Roadtrip, Dr. Clark brought history to life with energy and depth that made every story memorable,\u201d Cook says. \u201cNearly a decade later, his relationship with WUCF continued through to the most recent season of Florida Road Trip, where he remained a trusted voice sharing his knowledge on the people and places that shaped our community.\u201d<\/p>\n
Clark authored 11 books on Florida history, including Red Pepper<\/em> and<\/em> Gorgeous George: Claude Pepper\u2019s Epic Defeat in the 1950 Democratic Primary<\/em>, A History Lover\u2019s Guide to Florida<\/em> and, most recently, Lost Attractions<\/em>. His work made him a popular speaker across the state. In his last few months, he served as the keynote speaker at a Tallahassee celebration of the 125th anniversary of Claude Pepper\u2019s birth, and he had been invited to deliver the main address at the Florida Council for Social Studies. He was also a very popular lecturer for the Florida Humanities Council.<\/p>\nCareers often follow an arc, says Jeff Moore, dean of the UCF College of Arts and Humanities, and in Clark\u2019s case, his impact only grew with time. He never lost the spark of engagement or the joy of learning. He was always asking questions, always publishing, always teaching at the highest level.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was a people person in every sense of the word, and that translated beautifully into his teaching.\u201d \u2014 Jeff Moore, dean of the UCF College of Arts and Humanities<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
\u201cJim Clark was my friend for over 30 years and a model of what you hope for in a faculty member. His depth of knowledge as a Central Florida historian was extraordinary. But what truly set Jim apart was how that knowledge was rooted in his connection to people. He was a people person in every sense of the word, and that translated beautifully into his teaching. He positively impacted everyone he met, usually with a bit of his trademark humor mixed in.\u201d<\/p>\n
UCF plans to honor Clark with a campus tribute, inviting his many friends on campus and in the Central Florida community to share memories and reflections. As the university community mourns his loss, it also celebrates the indelible mark he left on Florida\u2019s historical landscape and the hearts of those who knew him.<\/p>\n
Celebration of Life<\/h2>\n Join us as we celebrate the life and legacy of James C. Clark on Thursday, April 16 from 5\u20138 p.m. at the Live Oak Event Center on main campus.<\/p>\n
A scholarship fund has been created in his name. Make a gift at www.givecampus.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A celebration of life will be hosted at the Live Oak Event Center on Thursday, April 16.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":98,"featured_media":150001,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"lazy_load_responsive_images_disabled":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":"","_wp_rev_ctl_limit":""},"categories":[3,5],"tags":[17023,14751,17948,8119,4895,5232],"tu_author":[],"class_list":["post-150000","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-arts","category-colleges","tag-college-of-arts-and-humanities","tag-faculty-excellence","tag-in-memory","tag-jeff-moore","tag-ucf-history","tag-wucf"],"yoast_head":"\n
UCF Remembers Jim Clark, Florida Historian and Long-time Faculty Member<\/title>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n