E. Warren Clark
Encyclopedia
E. Warren Clark was an American educator who taught thousands of young Japanese the rudiments of modern science while employed as a teacher in Japan
from 1871-75. Clark was born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire
and graduated from what is now Rutgers University
in New Jersey
in 1869 with a degree in Chemistry and Biology. He was one of several hundred teachers hired by the Japanese government to familiarize students with the science and technology of the West. Clark first taught at a school in Shizuoka
that trained students to become science teachers. He later taught
at what became Tokyo University in Tokyo
, where he helped to found the chemistry department, one of the first of its kind in Japan. A devout Christian, Clark sought to introduce the Bible and Christian doctrines to his students whenever possible. After returning to the United States Clark wrote a highly informative book about Japan: Life and Adventure in Japan (New York: American Tract Society, 1878).
Clark, who later became an Episcopalian priest, visited Japan on two later occasions and worked hard to garner American support for Japan during the Russo-Japanese War
(1904–05). Clark was a close associate of William Elliot Griffis
(1842–1928), widely regarded as the first major American Japanologist.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
from 1871-75. Clark was born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Portsmouth is a city in Rockingham County, New Hampshire in the United States. It is the largest city but only the fourth-largest community in the county, with a population of 21,233 at the 2010 census...
and graduated from what is now Rutgers University
Rutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
in 1869 with a degree in Chemistry and Biology. He was one of several hundred teachers hired by the Japanese government to familiarize students with the science and technology of the West. Clark first taught at a school in Shizuoka
Shizuoka Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region on Honshu island. The capital is the city of Shizuoka.- History :Shizuoka prefecture was formed from the former Tōtōmi, Suruga and Izu provinces.The area was the home of the first Tokugawa Shogun...
that trained students to become science teachers. He later taught
at what became Tokyo University in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, where he helped to found the chemistry department, one of the first of its kind in Japan. A devout Christian, Clark sought to introduce the Bible and Christian doctrines to his students whenever possible. After returning to the United States Clark wrote a highly informative book about Japan: Life and Adventure in Japan (New York: American Tract Society, 1878).
Clark, who later became an Episcopalian priest, visited Japan on two later occasions and worked hard to garner American support for Japan during the Russo-Japanese War
Russo-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War was "the first great war of the 20th century." It grew out of rival imperial ambitions of the Russian Empire and Japanese Empire over Manchuria and Korea...
(1904–05). Clark was a close associate of William Elliot Griffis
William Elliot Griffis
William Elliot Griffis was an American orientalist, Congregational minister, lecturer, and prolific author....
(1842–1928), widely regarded as the first major American Japanologist.
Further reading
- Metraux, Daniel A., "Lay Proselytization of Christianity in Japan in the Meiji Period: The Career of E. Warren Clark." New England Social Studies Bulletin, 44:3 (1986) 40-50.
- Daniel Metraux and Jessica Puglisi, Eds, E. Warren Clark's "Life and Adventure in Japan" (Writer's Club Press, 2002).