Mary Pat Clarke
Encyclopedia
Mary Pat Clarke is an American politician who represents the district 14 in the Baltimore City Council
. She is arguably the most recognized person in Baltimore
, Maryland politics having served as either council president or council member for 24 out of the last 35 years as of 2010. She is the first woman ever elected president of the Baltimore City Council and the only non-incumbent to win a council seat since single-member districts were mandated by Baltimore voters through Question P
in 2002.
on June 22, 1941. She attended Immaculata College
where she received an A.B. in 1963 and the a M.A.
from the University of Pennsylvania
in 1966. Clarke was a founding board member of the Greater Homewood Community Corporation and later president and executive director
"Mary Pat", by profession, is a teacher. She has instructed students at the Johns Hopkins University School of Professional Studies
, the Maryland Institute College of Art
and the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.
Mary Pat and Joe Clarke are the parents of four adult children, all graduates of the Baltimore City Public School system, and six grandchildren. Her husband Joe, also a teacher, is a developer as well. While out of public office, Clarke served the Mount Saint Agnes Theological Center from 1997 to 1998 by overseeing public relations and working to develop a stable financial base and an expanded curriculum for future students.
Remembered for such daring efforts as spending the night once in a now demolished public housing project to bring attention to deplorable living conditions for poor people in the city, Clarke has enjoyed support from blacks and whites in all of her races. It was Clarke who set the standard, in Baltimore politics, for integrated slates while running for office. She and her New Democratic Club forged alliances with Baltimore's black democratic clubs in the 1970s resulting in the election of several African Americans to the City Council, as well as her own. In the council, she forged alliances with her black colleagues, such as the one with Kweisi Mfume
resulting in a Baltimore City mandate for smaller class sizes in the 1980s.
Baltimore City Council
The Baltimore City Council is the legislative branch that governs the City of Baltimore and its nearly 700,000 citizens. Baltimore has fourteen single-member City Council districts and representatives are elected for a four-year term. To qualify for a position on the Council, a person must be...
. She is arguably the most recognized person in Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
, Maryland politics having served as either council president or council member for 24 out of the last 35 years as of 2010. She is the first woman ever elected president of the Baltimore City Council and the only non-incumbent to win a council seat since single-member districts were mandated by Baltimore voters through Question P
Question P
Question P was a 2002 local referendum issue which modified the Baltimore City Council.-Description:Question P was approved by the voters of Baltimore, Maryland, United States, in November 2002...
in 2002.
Background
Clarke was born in Providence, Rhode IslandProvidence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
on June 22, 1941. She attended Immaculata College
Immaculata University
Immaculata University is a Catholic University on King Road in East Whiteland Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania.-History:Immaculata was founded as Villa Maria College, a women's college in 1920. It was the first Catholic college for women in the Philadelphia area...
where she received an A.B. in 1963 and the a M.A.
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
from the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
in 1966. Clarke was a founding board member of the Greater Homewood Community Corporation and later president and executive director
"Mary Pat", by profession, is a teacher. She has instructed students at the Johns Hopkins University School of Professional Studies
Carey Business School
The Johns Hopkins Carey Business School, also referred to as Carey Business School or JHCBS, is one of the academic schools of the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland...
, the Maryland Institute College of Art
Maryland Institute College of Art
Maryland Institute College of Art is an art and design college in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. It was founded in 1826 as the Maryland Institute for the Promotion of the Mechanic Arts, making it one of the first and oldest art colleges in the United States. In 2008, MICA was ranked #2 in the nation...
and the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.
Mary Pat and Joe Clarke are the parents of four adult children, all graduates of the Baltimore City Public School system, and six grandchildren. Her husband Joe, also a teacher, is a developer as well. While out of public office, Clarke served the Mount Saint Agnes Theological Center from 1997 to 1998 by overseeing public relations and working to develop a stable financial base and an expanded curriculum for future students.
In the Council
Currently, as a member of the Baltimore City council, Clarke is the Chair of the Education Committee, vice-Chair of the Judiciary and Legislative Investigation Committee, a member of the Budget and Appropriations Committee and the Land Use and Transportation Committee (highways & franchises subcommittee).Remembered for such daring efforts as spending the night once in a now demolished public housing project to bring attention to deplorable living conditions for poor people in the city, Clarke has enjoyed support from blacks and whites in all of her races. It was Clarke who set the standard, in Baltimore politics, for integrated slates while running for office. She and her New Democratic Club forged alliances with Baltimore's black democratic clubs in the 1970s resulting in the election of several African Americans to the City Council, as well as her own. In the council, she forged alliances with her black colleagues, such as the one with Kweisi Mfume
Kweisi Mfume
Kweisi Mfume is the former President/CEO of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People , as well as a five-term Democratic Congressman from Maryland's 7th congressional district, serving in the 100th through 104th Congress...
resulting in a Baltimore City mandate for smaller class sizes in the 1980s.