Today in Smithsonian History: October 19, 1923

A portrait of young Austin H. Clark., ca. 1910. Austin Hobart Clark (1880-1954) came to the Smithsonian in 1908 as a Collaborator in the Division of Marine Invertebrates, United States National Museum, now known as the National Museum of Natural History, and in 1910 he became Assistant Curator of the Division. In 1920, the collection of Echinoderms was removed from Marine Invertebrates to form a new Division of Echinoderms, with Clark as its Curator, a position which he held until his retirement in 1950. From 1950 to 1954 he was an Associate in Zoology.

October 19, 1923 Washington, D.C. radio station WRC, owned by the Radio Corporation of America, begins broadcasting a series of talks on the Smithsonian. The talks are so successful that a regular series on scientific subjects is initiated on April 9, 1924, with Austin H. Clark, who presents “The Giants of the Animal World.”  The series runs for more than four years.

Austin Hobart Clark (1880-1954) came to the Smithsonian in 1908 as a collaborator in the Division of Marine Invertebrates, United States National Museum, now known as the National Museum of Natural History, and in 1910 he became assistant curator of the Division. In 1920, the collection of Echinoderms was removed from Marine Invertebrates to form a new Division of Echinoderms, with Clark as its curator, a position which he held until his retirement in 1950. From 1950 to 1954 he was an Associate in Zoology.

Courtesy of Smithsonian Institution Archives

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