Andrew Clark was a passenger onboard TWA flight 128. He was killed in the crash on November 20,1967 on the approach to The Greater Cincinnati Airport. Andrew was returning home, with his wife, Clementine, from a Saving and Loan Association conference in San Francisco. Mr. Clark was a prominate Covington, Ky. attorney with offices in the Covington Trust Building.
Andrew "became attorney for the airport on Feburary 19, 1962. His whole life was de...
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Andrew Clark was a passenger onboard TWA flight 128. He was killed in the crash on November 20,1967 on the approach to The Greater Cincinnati Airport. Andrew was returning home, with his wife, Clementine, from a Saving and Loan Association conference in San Francisco. Mr. Clark was a prominate Covington, Ky. attorney with offices in the Covington Trust Building.
Andrew "became attorney for the airport on Feburary 19, 1962. His whole life was dedicated to the civic betterment and economic growth of Northern Kentucky and the growth of the airport meant a great deal to him. For several years after the crash “we boys” were told the airport board intended to build a memorial to those who died in the crash.........that did not happen." {Source: Don Clark}
Andrew Ward Clark {Andy} was born in Versailles, Kentucky on October 14, 1914 at his parents home. His father was a evangelical Methodist preacher who had to move his family often to new ministry assignments. So it was that the Clarks moved in 1916 to Wilmore, Kentucky and then several years later to Somerset, Kentucky.
In 1927, they were on the move again. This time to Richmond, Kentucky where young Andy attended 8th grade at the Training School {Model High School} at Eastern Kentucky State Normal School and Teachers School {now Eastern Kentucky University}.
In 1928, the family moved to Covington, Kentucky where Andy's father was tasked with the mission of combining St. Luke Methodist Church with the Scott Street Methodist Church. While in Covington, Andy attended 9th and 10th grades at Holmes High School where he participated and won a speaking contest. He also formed a Bible class at the the First Methodist Church.
The next stop for the Clark's was East St. Louis, IL. in 1931. Andy attended his eleventh year of school at Soldan High School where he played basketball. That same year the family moved again, this time to Nicholasville, Kentucky. At Nicholasville High School, Andy was elected class treasurer and played football. Andy also earned his high school diploma. Andy also participated and became president of the Methodist Episcopal League while living in Nicholasville.
At the age of 19, Andy married Margaret Clementine Smith in Covington, Kentucky at the Methodist Episcopal Church South on Scott Street. The date was July 25, 1934. He continued his study at the University of Kentucky Law School earning his license to practice law in the state of Kentucky on September 21, 1936 before graduating with honors on February 1, 1937 at the age of 22.
With college now completed, he moved himself and his wife "Clemmy" to 302 Greenup Street, Covington, Kentucky where Andy started his private law
practice and also joined the First Methodist Church. Andy's life of law and civic duty was now underway.
His first project began in 1940 with the Covington-Kenton County Industrial Association in partnership with C. Lyle Kays, Bernard Eilerman, and J. Lyter Donaldson. In 1941, the Association was instrumental in having a road built for the proposed airport.
Andy continued to stay busy through 1942 as the Clerk of the Kenton County Quarterly Court under John B. Read. He also served on the Kenton County Draft Board, the Kenton County Bar Association, and he joined the Kiwanis Club. During this period, he moved Clemmy and their two children Milton, born in 1937, and Donald born in 1941, to 821 Aberdeen Road, Park Hills, Kentucky where he became City Attorney. He also moved his law office to the First National Bank Building at 503 Madison Avenue in Covington.
In 1943 and 1944, Andy served as Secretary for the Kenton County Bar Association and then in 1945 he served as the President of the Covington Junior Chamber of Commerce. His third son was born in 1944, Anthony.
In 1946 the Greater Cincinnati Airport opened along Donaldson Road. This would become one of Andy's major projects as he saw the airport as an economic opportunity for growth and prosperity for Northern Kentucky. This would become one of his legacies as the airport expanded over the upcoming decades and jobs came to Hebron, Kentucky.
In 1947, at the age of 33, Andy became a partner in the Hughes, Clark, and Lee law firm. The year 1947 would also find Mr. Clark engaged as a member of the Kenton County Civic League and as the President of the Kenton County Bar Association. He was also honored in that year as the Junior Chamber of Commerce Man of the Year.
In 1948 he was elevated to the position of Director of the Kenton County Chamber of Commerce. He became a member of the Kenton County Democratic Committee and president of the Kentucky Junior Chamber of Commerce.
In 1950, Clemmy and Andy Clark would have their fourth son, Stephen.
In May of 1951, Andy joined with Larry C. Wilson to form the Committee for Covington-Kenton County, the CCKC. This project of 25 members was created to elicit support that would remove the nationally syndicated gaming operations from the county in order, once again, to provide encouragement to new businesses to move to Northern Kentucky. Andy also made a run for political office in 1951 by pursuing a campaign to become the Kenton County Commonwealth Attorney running against James E. Quill as the law and order candidate.
The year 1952, would bring Andy back to the classroom, only this time as a business law instructor at the University of Kentucky Community College in the 2nd District School on Scott Street.
It seemed that the Clark family was always on the move. This time, in 1954, the family stayed in Park Hills, Kentucky by moving to their new home at 1114 Cleveland Avenue.
Back in politics in 1955, Andy was appointed as an aide to Bert T. Combs Northern Kentucky campaign working with Senator Earle C. Clemens and former Governor Lawrence Wetherby. In 1959, they would successfully put Mr. Combs in office as the Governor of Kentucky.
As a member of the Kenton County Heart Association, Andy served as it's President in the year of 1956.
Two events of significance occurred in 1957. The Kenton County Airport Board approved a two million dollar contract for airport improvements and Andy became the Attorney for the Northern Kentucky Industrial Foundation {Florence Industrial Park}.
In 1960, Andy was appointed as the Kentucky State Bar Commissioner and would be elected in 1964 to the Board of Governors of the Kentucky State Bar Association.
Continuing his pursuit of economic prosperity in Northern Kentucky, Andy became a member of the first Kentucky Economic Development Commission in 1961.
He became the Attorney for the Greater Cincinnati Airport Board in 1962.
In the fateful year of 1967, Andy continued his distinguished career and accomplishments by serving as state campaign manager for Mike Mills bid to become the State Attorney General. He was also a member of the State Democratic Central Executive Committee for the 4th District and Vice President of the Kentucky State Bar Association. All of this would come to an end on the evening of November 20,1967 in an apple orchard in Hebron, Kentucky.
His legacy lives today in a vibrant and restored Northern Kentucky where in the 20th Century vice and corruption was rampant and living standards were low.
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