Otis Granville Clark, 2004-2007
name: label: Collection Creator
content: Turner, Reginald
setName: label: See more items in
content: Guide to 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Oral History Collection
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NMAAHC.A2014.240, Series 4
objectType: label: Type
content: Archival materials
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: Otis Granville Clark was born February 13, 1903 in Guthrie, Oklahoma. At the time of the race massacre, Clark and his family lived in the Greenwood District of Tulsa. According to his testimony at the court case, Alexander, et al., v. Oklahoma, et al. in 2003, he was caught in the middle of a gun battle. His friend was shot standing next to him and they both fled for their lives. Clark's stepfather and their family dog disappeared during the riot and were never found. The family home and property were destroyed by fire. Clark escaped on a railroad box car to Milwaukee and later moved to Los Angeles, California. He worked in domestic service for many actors including Clark Gable, Charlie Chaplin, and as a butler for Joan Crawford. After being jailed during prohibition, Clark was ordained as a preacher and later a bishop traveling the world as a missionary. Clark died May 22, 2012 at 109 years old.