Hillsdale Great Nate Clark Passes Away at 70

Hillsdale College Magazine, Spring 2005

Nathan Clark Jr., '57, TKE,of Detroit passed away on February 9, 2005, after a lengthy battle with diabetes. He was 70 years old.

Clark played football at Hillsdale during the mid 1950's under coach Frank "Muddy" Waters. One of Hillsdale's most outstanding running backs ever, he contributed to many of the program's accomplishments. He played during Hillsdale's 34-game winning streak that began in 1954 and ended in 1957, an unprecedented feat among all American colleges and universities at the time. Clark earned Associated Press Little All-American honors two times and led the nation in scoring with 144 points on 24 touchdowns in 1955. In the same year, he rushed for 949 yards and helped lead the team to a 9-0 record. The 1955 team was invited to play in the Tangerine Bowl, but due to the Bowl Committee's policy of excluding black players, Hillsdale turned down the invitation , refusing to participate if Clark and the other black teammates could not play. He served as co-captain of the team his senior year and led the school in rushing from 1953-1956. He still holds the school records for touchdowns and total career point accumulation. In 1998, Clark was inducted into the Hillsdale College Athletic Hall of Fame.

Clark is survived by his wife, Lucille, four children, Nathan Clark III, Cheryl Cadwell, Lisa Landrum, and Robin Clark; five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.