J. Calvitt Clarke III PhD

A consummate and innovative entrepreneur and fundraiser, by the 1950s Dr. J. Calvitt Clarke was running the worlds largest Protestant organization dedicated to the welfare of children. Yet while Dr. Clarkes life and accomplishments make him one of the twentieth centurys foremost and beloved figures in philanthropy, his legacy is sometimes recorded with confusion, contradiction, and even outright error.

In Fifty Years of Begging, Dr. J. Calvitt Clarke III, author and grandson to Dr. Clarke, navigates the complexities of Dr. Clarkes personality and intellectual lifeand yes, even their contradictionsto offer a detailed and heartfelt profile of this compelling man. Based on hundreds of newspapers and extensive archival researchincluding a large cache of family papersFifty Years of Begging is inspired by Dr. Clarkes own badly fragmented and scattered manuscript of his unfinished memoirs.

Although both Dr. Clarke and his grandson called Richmond their home, while growing up the author did not know his grandfather well. On the other hand, his work on his grandfather Clarkes biography did set him on an exciting and enjoyable road of discovery, one that would reveal Dr. J. Calvitt Clarkes proud heritage and lasting legacy of philanthropy and service.