J. Reuben Clark - College Education and Early Career

College Education and Early Career

In 1890 at age 19, and with his father’s consent, Clark was taken to Salt Lake City to enter Latter-day Saints' University. Clark lived at the home of an aunt to save money, and he earned extremely high grades. The principal of the school was James E. Talmage, the foremost scholar and scientist in the LDS Church. Talmage hired Clark to be the assistant curator (and later, curator) for the Deseret Museum. It was a paid position and helped immensely to support Clark during his higher education. The curator position was also considered a mission, and relieved Clark of being called to serve a formal full-time mission for the LDS Church. When Talmage was released as principal and called to create a new college for the LDS Church, he brought Clark with him as his chemistry lab assistant and clerk, while Clark would still curate at the museum. This again, helped Clark with his financial support and enabled him to finish six years of advanced schooling in four. Two of those years had been meant to finish his unmet high school requirements. It was Talmage who called Clark “the greatest mind ever to leave Utah,” and who encouraged him to attend an eastern university.

In 1894, Clark entered the University of Utah. Clark lived frugally and was even able to partially support his father, who had been called to serve in the Northern States Mission of the Church, first as a missionary, then as president of the mission.

James E. Talmage became the President of the University of Utah and also the first recipient of the recently endowed Deseret Professorship of Geology. Clark graduated in 1898 as valedictorian of his graduating class, still serving as clerk to Talmage and on the faculty of the university. He had met Luacine (“Lute”) Annetta Savage, the youngest daughter of Charles Roscoe Savage of Salt Lake City in 1894, but could not afford to marry her. She taught kindergarten, then worked at her father’s store, while dating Clark for four years. They married on September 14, 1898, in the Salt Lake Temple. James E. Talmage performed the sealing, which was the first sealing performed by Talmage. The couple had a modest reception by Lute’s choice, owing to Clark's small means, although she came from a prosperous family. A few days later, Clark left for Heber, Utah, to find a place for them to live and start his first career position as a teacher and principal of the new Heber City High School.

The next year, Clark signed on as a teacher at Latter-day Saints' University, but resigned in February to teach at Salt Lake Business College. Joseph Nelson headed the college and became an important benefactor to Clark. In the fall of 1900, Clark went to Cedar City, Utah, to become the principal of the Branch Normal School. The following year, Clark was an instructor in Commercial Law, Principal of the Shorthand Department, and Secretary of the Faculty at Salt Lake Business College. In 1903 Nelson was named cashier of the Utah National Bank, and Clark assumed most of his duties at the college. That year, Nelson offered to pay for law school for Clark, and Clark applied to Columbia University. He was accepted, and he received his entire education in law at Columbia.