The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-04-17
Harley Clarke indianapolis
P070er 6S Light Chief Works
to Make MOUieS Educational
Man Who AScendS Throne
of w. A. Fox Was Moved
to Action by Interest of
Son in Films.
BY GILBERT SWAN
NEA Service Writer

NEW YORK, April 17.-Nine years
ago Harley L. Clarke, a young Chi
cago utilities magnate, who controls
the Indianapolis Power and Light
Company and who had made his
first million and a dozen more be-
fore his fortieth birthday, found
himself bordering the problems OF
modern education.
His interest in the matter was per-
sonal. He had children of his own.
Clarke noticed that one son, in
particular, was enthusiastic over
things learned from watching edu-
cational movies. The boy seemed
never to forget anything he had
learned from the screen.
Clarke, an engineer by profession,
and a man with an inquiring mind,
began a survey of educational films
as they existed in this country at
that time.
Takes Fox Throne
This investigation was motivated
entirely by his interest in his son.
He had no idea that it was to lead
him along a strangely twisted trail
and through an unusual set of cir
cumStances to an outstanding posi-
ton in the motion picture industry
of this country.
But that is exactly what happened
when, just the other day, he took
over the throne of the vacating
veteran, William Fox, president of
the Fox Film Corporation.
So interested did Clarke become
that he organized the Visible Edu-
cational League, tossed a couple Of
million of his utilities millions into
it by way of showing that he meant
it, and thus started picture-study
movement throughout the country.
Clarke wanted these pictures in
his home so that his own youngsters
could derive benefit from them. He
bought a protector and, with his
children, ran off many reels of edu-
cationa1 films. His engineering
training, however, led him to decide
that the protector wasn't just right.
III OuSIlU 10 De DeCG0T.
Bought T0ttering Concern
Having decided that improvement
was necessary, Clarke set out to
accomplish the task. He bought a
tottering concern that manufactured
projectors, and added it to his al
ready vast public utilities under
takingS.
Then finding the general protector
business in none too prosperous a
condition, he took over a number of
concerns and finally founded the
General Equipment Company, def
nttely linking himself with the
theater.
Clarke, quiet and pleasant spoken,
is still young man. He was gradu-
ated from Michigan with an en-
cheering degree. Independent, a
man who likes to "do things on his
own" he became his own boss for
the first time when he bought a
utilities property in Vincennes, Ind.
Later he branched out into other
sections of the state, securing con-
troll Of the Indianapolis Power and
Light Company.
Buys in Indianapolis
He went to Illinois and increased
his interests until he is generally
credited with being the controlling
interest behind forty three utilities
companies.
Despite the amount of work he
has accomplished, Clarke has found
time to play. He is man of many
hobbies. The theater, for instance,
has been one of his chief hobbies.
A profound student of Shake
speare, a couple of years ago he de-
cided that Chicago should become a
sort of Stratford-on Avon. He I'M
derwrote civic Shakespeare Com
pany with Fritz Lieber at its head.
Quite recently he backed a Lieber
tour, which involved several weeks
run on Broadway.