One of the University of British Columbia's most distinguished chemists, Robert H. Clark was born in Blythe, Ontario and received his university education at the University of Toronto (M.A. 1906) and the University of Leipzig (Ph.D. 1909). After teaching for seven years in American universities, he joined UBC's Department of Chemistry in 1916. Clark was appointed head of the department in 1927, a position which he held until his retirement in 1948.