Though complimentary and appreciative of his Maryville College education, Dean Clark ’68 will tell you, in his own good-humored way, that it had little to do with his landing a job with Graphic Chemical & Ink.

“I got where I am today the good, old-fashioned way,” he shared recently. “I inherited it.”

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But since Vernon Clark ’40, his late father and a former president of the company, also attended MC, the College can – and does – take particular pride in the success of this internationally known manufacturer of specialty printing inks.

“These inks are used by artists involved in producing limited edition etchings, lithographs, block prints and silk screen prints,” Dean explained. “We have manufactured these inks since 1920 and currently are the largest source in the world for these specialty materials. Our customers include college and university art departments (including MC), art supply stores and distributors in over 20 countries.”

Though not an artist himself, he and wife Susan are collectors and support the arts in a variety of ways – ways that include supplying artists with quality materials for their work and other far-reaching initiatives.

In summary, they see value in the arts in society and schools.

“I believe that the importance of the arts in our lives cannot be overstated. The arts bring us joy and beauty, political comment and awareness and an outlet for our inner voices,” Dean said, pointing out that numerous studies have shown that well-defined art and music programs in schools improve children’s mathematics and science scores.

In both elected and appointed positions, Dean says he fights for arts funding. As president of the Glen Ellyn Elementary School District Board of Education from 1993 until 1997, he was partially responsible for the addition of art and music rooms in the elementary buildings.

“It is an important distinction to include art and music in the definitions of core curriculum. At least it was in Illinois,” he said. “When politicians develop funding streams for state budgets, they are frequently focused on the core curriculum. There is a great concern to not use precious dollars for fluff or electives.”

Today, Dean is a member of the Illinois State Board of Education and Illinois Manufacturers Association Board of Directors, serving as chairman of the group’s education committee. He also chairs the legislative committee of the National Art Materials Trade Association.

In 1998, Dean, his father Vernon Clark ’40 and siblings Robert Clark ’64 and Carolyn Clark White ’71 established the Clark Family Prize at Maryville College, which recognizes select students for outstanding academic and artistic achievement.

“There are numerous studies that show the benefit of art and music in the other academic areas,” he said, “and as the product of a liberal arts college, I firmly believe in developing the whole student – both sides of the brain.”

Of prints and presidents

The nearly 2,000 prints in the Clark Family Collection, acquired through purchases, exhibition awards and gifts, range in age, style and value. In September 2004, the family exhibited at the College 33 prints, representing techniques of relief, intaglio, lithography and silkscreen.

Many prints in the collection were created by “the greats, the near-greats and the soon-to-be greats,” Dean said. “Among my favorites would be mezzotint prints by Weidnaar, Hamanishi and Kipness, aquatints by Thompson and Bebb, and we have three presidential inaugural invitations:  two of them (Kennedy/Johnson and Nixon/Agnew) were printed with our ink, and the third (Bush/Cheney) was printed on our plates.”