Donning the crimson colors of Harvard University, Joseph Clark won the inaugural Intercollegiate Singles Championship in the spring of 1883. It was an auspicious debut considering Clark’s victory came over classmate Dick Sears, who won seven straight U.S. National Men’s Singles Championships from 1881 to 1887. Teaming with Howard Taylor in the spring of 1883, Clark added the collegiate doubles title to his portfolio. Clark had a nine-year run on the tennis circuit, winning the U.S. National Men’s Doubles Championship with Sears in 1885 over Henry Slocum and Percy Knapp, 6-3, 6-0, 6-2. Clark was a singles semifinalist in 1885, 1886 and 1887, and was ranked in the Top 10 four straight years from 1885-1888.
Clark earned a law degree from Harvard and turned his attention to practicing law, business and administrative endeavors. When he died at age 94, he was Philadelphia’s oldest practicing attorney. With a sharp and analytical approach, Clark accented from Secretary to Vice President and then President of the United States National Lawn Tennis Association from 1889-91. Clark's brother Clarence was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1983. Clark had two sons. His eldest son, Joseph Sill Clark, Jr., served as Mayor of Philadelphia from 1952-56 and later as a U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania (1957-69).
