Wesley Kanne Clark was born in Chicago, Illinois, on December 23, 1944. The family moved to Little Rock when his father passed away in 1948.
Clark attended high school at Castle Heights Military Academy in Lebanon, Tennessee, and Hall High School in Little Rock. He was accepted to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, where he graduated in 1966. He attended Magdalen College, University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar and earned degrees in philosophy, politics, and economics in 1968.
Clark served in the U.S. Army for thirty-eight years, advancing to the rank of four-star general. He was an envoy to the Dayton Peace Agreement negotiations in 1995 and served as commander in chief of the U.S. European Command and as NATO Supreme Allied Commander, Europe from 1997 to his retirement in 2000.
A highly decorated U.S. military officer, Clark has earned numerous awards both at home and abroad, including medals for his contributions in Kosovo and Bosnia. He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2000.
Clark has since written several books, including Don't Wait for the Next War and A Time to Lead. In 2003 he campaigned for the Democratic presidential nomination. Clark founded Wesley K. Clark and Associates, an international consulting firm, in 2004. He appears on national news programs providing military commentary and analysis.
#1: Composite image of early photo of Wesley K. Clark and still frame from Pryor Center video interview
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#2: Wesley K. Clark's father, Benjamin J. Kanne, in his US Navy uniform; Chicago, Illinois
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#3: Wesley K. Clark's father, Ensign Benjamin J. Kanne, in World War I US Navy uniform
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#4: Wesley K. Clark's father, Benjamin J. Kanne
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#5: Wesley K. Clark's mother, Veneta Updegraff Kanne
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#6: Wesley Kanne (Clark) with his mother, Veneta Updegraff Kanne, 1944
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#7: Wesley Kanne (Clark) as an infant, 1945
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#8: Wesley Kanne (Clark) as an infant, 1945
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#9: Wesley Kanne (Clark), c. 1946
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#10: Wesley Kanne (Clark) near Hyde Park, Chicago, Illinois; May 31, 1948
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#11: Wesley Kanne (Clark) at four years old; Little Rock, Arkansas
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#12: Wesley Kanne (Clark) at eight years old; Bolivar, Tennessee, 1953
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#13: Wesley K. Clark (seated on far right) at a meeting of the Royal Amabssadors at Pulaski Heights Bapstist Church; Little Rock, Arkansas, 1954
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#14: Wesley K. Clark at Painter Lakeside Lodge on Lake Hamilton; Hot Springs, Arkansas, 1955
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#15: Wesley K. Clark with his stepfather, Victor Clark, at Camp Tahkodah; Floral, Arkansas, 1955
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#16: Wesley K. Clark's sixth-grade school photo, Pulaski Heights Elementary School; Little Rock, Arkansas, 1955-56
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#17: Wesley K. Clark at nine years old, Pulaski Heights Baptist Church; Little Rock, Arkansas, 1955
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#18: Wesley K. Clark at home, 506 N. Valentine Street, Little Rock, Arkansas; Christmas 1958
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#19: Wesley K. Clark (seated at center), editor of the Pulaski Heights Junior High School paper, Tip Top Times with staff: (left to right) Johnny Bilheimer, Dianne Holley, Phil McKnelly, Frances Cheshire, Chris Polychron, and Elizabeth Moore; 1958
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#20: Wesley K. Clark (middle row, far right) at Mid-South Prep School swimming championships, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee; February 26, 1960
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#21: Wesley K. Clark in Castle Heights Military Academy uniform; Little Rock, Arkansas, spring 1960
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#22: Wesley K. Clark's National Honor Socieity certificate from Castle Heights Military Academy; Lebanon, Tennessee, May 1960
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#23: Wesley K. Clark (2nd row, 3rd from right) at The American Legion Boys State, Camp Robinson; North Little Rock, Arkansas, 1961
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#24: Wesley K. Clark's Rhodes Scholar announcement in the Arkansas Democrat, Sunday, December 19, 1965
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#25: Wesley K. Clark during West Point Graduation Week in front of Colonel Nye's house; 1966
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#26: Wesley K. Clark with his future wife, Gertrude Kingston, during West Point Graduation Week; June 1966
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#27: Wesley Clark's wife, Gertrude, on Lake Hamilton; Hot Springs, Arkansas, 1967
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#28: Wesley K. Clark at Magdalen College, Oxford University; Oxford, England; July 1967
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#29: Wesley K. Clark, Oxford University graduation portrait, 1968
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#30: Wesley K. Clark (1st row, 3rd from right) with the US Army G3 staff section in the Division briefing room; Oct. 7, 1969
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#31: Wesley K. Clark with his wife, Gertrude; son, Wesley Jr.; and their dog, Tara, in front of their apartment building at West Point; fall 1973
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#32: Wesley K. Clark with his wife, Gertrude, and son, Wesley Jr., at West Point; Christmas 1973
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#33: Wesley K. Clark with his son, Wesley Jr., at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas; April 1975
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#34: Wesley K. Clark, White House Fellow; 1975
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#35: Wesley K. Clark (3rd from right) with other members of the 3rd Brigade combat team at Fort Irwin, California; August 1986
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#36: Wesley K. Clark with his wife, Gertrude, at Fort Irwin, California
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#37: Wesley K. Clark (far right) at a USO Toys for Tots fundraiser, Fort Irwin, California; December 22, 1989
© U.S. Army Photograph
#38: Back of previous image of Wesley K. Clark (far right) at a USO Toys for Tots fundraiser, Fort Irwin, California; December 22, 1989
© U.S. Army Photograph
#39: Wesley K. Clark during an NTC visit by Defense Science Studies Group, which is directed by the Institute for Defense Analyses; Fort Irwin, California; August 1990
© U.S. Army Photograph
#40: Back of previous image of Wesley K. Clark during an NTC visit by Defense Science Studies Group, which is directed by the Institute for Defense Analyses; Fort Irwin, California; August 1990
© U.S. Army Photograph
#41: Wesley K. Clark at the ceremony promoting him to Major General; 1991
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#42: Wesley K. Clark at Fort Hood, Texas
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#43: Wesley K. Clark taking command of the 1st Cavalry Division; August 1992
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#44: Wesley K. Clark (right) with his wife, Gertrude, and General John Shalikashvili, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, at the White House for the visit of Admiral Jacques Lanxade, French Armed Forces Chief of Staff; February 23, 1995
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#45: Wesley K. Clark
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#46: Wesley K. Clark (2nd from right) with his wife, Gertrude; Panama, 1999
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#47: Wesley K. Clark with unidentified individual in ? 1999 ?
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#48: Wesley K. Clark with Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski; inscription reads "For General Wesley Clark - With highest respect and best wishes, Aleksander Kwasniewski, Warsaw, 6.12.1999"
© Damzy Kwiatkowski
#49: Wesley K. Clark with his wife, Gertrude; Warsaw, Poland; June 12, 1999
© Damzy Kwiatkowski
#50: Wesley K. Clark, Führungsakademie der Bundeswehr, Germany; September 7, 1999
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#51: Secretary General Lord Robertson presents SACEUR, General Wesley Clark, with the NATO medal for the Former Yugoslavia and the NATO medal for Kosovo during a farewell ceremony; NATO Headquarters, Brussels, Belgium; April 12, 2000
© NATO Photo: Copyright NATO Office of Information and Press
#52: Medals presented to SACEUR, General Wesley Clark, at a farewell ceremony; NATO medal for the Former Yugoslavia (left) and the NATO medal for Kosovo (right); NATO Headquarters, Brussels, Belgium; April 12, 2000
© NATO Photo: Copyright NATO Office of Information and Press
#53: Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), General Wesley Clark, speaking at farewell ceremony after receiving NATO medals from Secretary General Lord Robertson; NATO Headquarters, Brussels, Belgium; April 12, 2000
© NATO Photo: Copyright NATO Office of Information and Press
#54: Wesley K. Clark business card during his run for the Democratic presidential nomination in the 2004 election
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#55: Wesley K. Clark (right in foreground) with his wife, Gertrude, during his run for the Democratic presidential nomination in the 2004 election
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#56: Wesley K. Clark during his run for the Democratic presidential nomination in the 2004 election
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#57: Wesley K. Clark (center) with Bill Clinton (left) and Eli Segal at a City Year AmeriCorps meeting, Little Rock, Arkansas; Fall 2004
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#58: Still frame from Pryor Center video interview with Wesley K Clark; Fayetteville, Arkansas, 2022
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#59: Still frame from Pryor Center video interview with Wesley K Clark; Fayetteville, Arkansas, 2022
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#60: Still frame from Pryor Center video interview with Wesley K Clark; Fayetteville, Arkansas, 2022
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
