Jane clark cooperstown biography
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"Her whole organization is about making life better for the people of Cooperstown."
The Clark Foundation provided the land, buildings and financial support for two additional Cooperstown museums that have nothing to do with baseball; she even donated the village's first carousel. Raised in Virginia, she spent childhood summers here. She owns two premium hotels here, including one built by her great grandfather in 1909.
It was Clark's grandfather who got his hands on the ball.
"Family legend has it that he took it home," Jane said, "and my grandmother took one look at this dirty thing and said 'really? And that's exactly what it is.
"The same natural beauty attracted my family in the mid 1800s and started a 160 (or) 170 year commitment to the preservation, the conservation and the economic stability of the village," Clark said.
She has an office at Rockefeller Center.
She took over the late George Steinbrenner's box seats at old Yankee Stadium after The Boss moved his perch to the executive suite. These prizes were awarded until 1961.
In the 1960s, The Scriven Foundation, named in honor of Elizabeth Scriven Clark, established The Scriven Scholarship Program to replace the Punctuality Prize.
(She doesn't have a box at new Yankee Stadium.)
Since she became chair of the Hall of Fame in 2000, she has made it her mission to make sure all of living Hall of Famers return for induction ceremonies each year.
"I think it's important for fans to see all of the Hall of Fame members, and in talking to the Hall of Famers it's important to them because the Hall of Fame is a huge part of their life,' she said.
"I don't think you've ever interviewed a Hall of Fame member who didn't say how special it was to be a part of that elite fraternity.
She is preparing for the World Equestrian Games this fall in Lexington, Ky.
"In the horse world," she said, "these games are almost as important as the Olympics."
History
A Commitment to Service to the Students of the Leatherstocking Region
For over 130 years the Clark Family has supported the educational pursuits of local students.
In 2014 Gilbertsville-Mount Upton and Morris schools were added.
Jane Forbes Clark
The Clark Family: A Legacy of Dedication to the Community
Under the leadership of President Jane Forbes Clark, The Clark Foundation, founded in 1931, is one of the largest charitable foundations in the United States.
Edward Clark married the daughter of a Cooperstown lawyer.
When he died in 1882, he bequeathed some of his fortune to the village. There's also a golf course and the local nursing home.
As for the hanging baskets of flowers on Main Street, all 110 of them were provided by the Clark Nursery. The Clark Foundation Scholarship has expanded to include nine additional school districts: Cherry Valley-Springfield, Edmeston, Laurens, Milford, Mount Markham, Owen D.
Young, Richfield Springs, Schenevus, and Worcester plus the O.A.O.C. "The Clark Foundation now owns probably 9.5 miles of the east side of the lake -- and with no plans to develop it."
If there were no Jane Clark in Cooperstown, what would happen?
"I think the strength of our legacy is that I am the fifth generation and I don't think Cooperstown is going to have a problem," she told CBS News, speaking like a woman who has already left and indelible impression.
The museum’s central point of focus is maintaining and educating the general public on the history of baseball in the United States.
For Jane Forbes Clark, the National Baseball Hall of Fame is not only part of United States history but is also a part of her family history.
Her grandfather, Stephen Carlton Clark, was the founder of the Baseball Hall of Fame, and during his time, he had served as chairman of the board of directors.
His son, Stephen C.
Clark Jr., also served in the same position.
This makes Jane Forbes Clark the third member of her family to serve as chairman of the Baseball Hall of Fame.
The Origin Story
Jane Forbes Clark, daughter of Stephen Carlton Junior and Jane Forbes (née Wilbur) Clark, was born on May 11th of 1955.
Not much is known for her early childhood or the endeavors that she undertook at an early age, but in 1975 she earned an Associate of Arts degree from Bennett College.
After that, she pursued a Master of Science in Marymount Manhattan College, which she successfully got in 1979.
Her final degree came in 1994, when she gained a Doctor of Humane Letters, an honorary degree, from Hartwick College.
Her career after finishing her education was, to a great extent, divided between foundations that were created by her ancestors.
Her most notable role and positions were in the field of sports administration.
@Getty
Clark has been an active board member for the Baseball Hall of Fame since 1992.
Her contributions in that position and her museum expertise led to her becoming the Chairperson of the Hall of Fame in 2000.
Her management skills and philanthropic work have also allowed her to continue successfully managing the museum and the entire foundation, which has been thriving under her tutelage.
The Farmers’ Museum
While the Baseball Hall of Fame is a large part of how she occupies her time, she has also been a part of a number of different foundations and positions in the past few decades.
These positions have allowed her to gain immense insight into how to manage and organize different foundations and museums.
Another foundation that she has been the Chairman of is the Farmers’ Museum, which first opened its doors in 1944.
In contrast to the Baseball Hall of Fame, this museum does not deal with sports history in the United States of America, but rather it is focused on providing educational information about the agricultural history of the United States and the importance of Agriculture in the building of the nation.
Little League Foundation
Lon Simmons & Jane Forbes Clark – @Getty
Jane Forbes Clark has previously served as Vice Chairman of numerous different foundations, including the Trustee of the Little League Foundation and The Jackie Robinson Empire State Freedom Medal Commission.
When it comes to sports administration, one of the highlights of her career was being Vice Chairman and Trustee of The United States Equestrian Team, as well as a past Director of The United States Olympic Committee.
For any sports administration, the opportunity to work in the Olympic committee is not only immense, but it can provide insight and perspective on how one of the biggest sports events in the world is created.
While these positions are in her past, she still has an impressive repertoire of positions that she is currently active in.
She is the President of The Clara Welch Thanksgiving Home and The Scriven Foundation.
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Awards
Her work has been recognized through many different awards and lifetime achievements.
One of the most notable of these includes being listed as a Sports Foundation administrator by Marquis Who’s Who.
She has also earned the Humanitarian of the Year award by the Fire Department of the City of New York in acknowledgment of all her work.
Finally, the Preservation League of New York State has awarded her with the Pillar of New York award.
Keeping the family tradition alive, she is also the President of The Clark Foundation, which is a Foundation that manages the assets of the Clark Family.
Currently, she is the last descendant of the family in Cooperstown and has no children.
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Husband/Boyfriend
She has also never married and stayed single for the entirety of her life.
Net Worth
Clark earned most of her wealth from her multiple positions in different boards and foundations, as well as from assets that were left from her ancestors.
That amount does not include the net worth and assets that are tied to the Clark Foundation and, as such, are not assets privately owned by Jane Forbes Clark.
Basically, her net worth is comprised of multiple different revenue sources and her strong association and familial relations with the Clark Foundation.
Therefore, Jane Forbes Clark has an estimated net worth of $10 million.
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"She's a gracious host.'
Clark's Wellington home, near equestrian stables and golf courses off Forest Hill Boulevard, offers few clues to her baseball connection.
"She is Cooperstown and her family has been for many, many years," said resident Michael Moffat, who runs a local restaurant and marina. She also owns two bulls - Evil Doer and Ludicris - on the Professional Bull Riders circuit.
But her family's biggest influence can be found in Cooperstown, where her grandfather's grandfather moved after becoming Isaac Singer's patent lawyer.
But to really see the depth of her family's commitment to the conservation of Cooperstown, look no further than Otsego Lake. She is the Hall's chairman, and granddaughter of its founder, Stephen Carlton Clark.
The Hall, which today includes 50,000-square-feet of memorabilia, began modestly -- with one baseball.