Evening star., 1960-04-30
HEADLINE PERSONALITY
Right Breaks Brought
Success to Clark

PHILADELPHIA, April 80
(AP).-Richard Wagstaff Clark
is not exactly a musician. en-
tertainer or disc jockey. Strictly
speaking he is a master of
ceremonies. As such he has
become perhaps the most in
fluential person in the popular
music field.
Communication" is the word
that Mr.. Clark, a 30-year-old
native of Mt. Vernon, N. Y,
once used to describe his sue
cess. And it is this communi-
cation-or the ability to estab-
lish rapport-with teen-agers
that started him toward the
top.
He invoked the old cliche of
being in the right place at
the right time" further to ex-
plain his rise.
Mr.. Clark was graduated
from Syracuse University in
1851 and worked in upstate
New York television and radio
until he decided to try his
luck in a bigger city. He came
to Philadelphia in 1852 and
landed a staff announcer's Job
with WILL and WFIL-TV.
Virtually Unknown
For four years he was virtu-
ally unknown beyond the sta
tion's broadcasting limits.
In this period WFIL-TV con-
Quoted a show called band
stand. A master of ceremonies
chatted with teen-agers, de-
livered a few commercials and
then watched as the kids
danced to recorded music.
Mr.. Clark was thrown into
the breach when the NC was
fired.
His ability to reach the kids
was apparent. A year later the
American Broadcasting Co. de-
cided to televise the show ma
tionally as American Band
stand. The daily afternoon
show achieved audiences be-
yond its expectations and soon
Mr.. Clark had a second net
work show and was in the big
money.
Since his name first was
linked with payola he's had
little to say publicly, other than
his utterances on his shows
and his words in a syndicated
column of advice to teen-agers.
Mr.. Clark doesn't call himself
an expert on the problems of
today's high school children.
He does say that more time
should be spent understanding
them. In one public address he
urged parents to sit down land
talk with teen-agers, instead
OF talking down to them. You'll
be surprised how much you can
learn from them"
Received Several HOnors
For his interest in youth he
has received several awards.
Informally, Mr.. Clark will
tell you part of his understand
ing comes from his own child
hood. AS a teen-ager he was
bothered with. a skin disease
that gave him an inferiority
complex. Il thought I was
oeculiar-looking and generally
ood," he says. Now he is de-
scribed as boyishly handsome,
good-looking or sharp.
BY his senior year at A. B.
Davis High School in Mt. Ver-
non he had overcome his COM
plex to a great degree and was
elected class president. From
there he went to Syracuse, tax
ing a business course and doing
a lot of work in university ra-
dio. In summers he worked in
commercial radio.
Mr.. Clark did not serve in
the armed forces. After the
death in World War II of his
only brother Brad, a fighter
pilot, he received a surviving
dependent deferment.
In his university days, he
began serious. long distance
courtship of his high school
sweetheart, attractive, blond
Barbara Mallery, who was at
tending a teachers college. Mr..
Clark worked at odd Jobs dur
ing college to pay his tuition
and to maintain the jalopy he
drove on his counting trips.
Dick and Barbara were mar
ried in 1852 and had their only