Clark, Charles R. (Bob)

Charles R. (Bob) Clark was born May 3, 1925 in Wilson, NC to William Boyd Clark whose family was from Mullins, S.C. and Bessie Spivey who was originally from Perquimans CO. After graduating from Charles L. Coon High School, Bob attended college at Atlantic Christian College (forerunner to Barton College in Wilson) for three years. During World War II, he enlisted in the Marine Corps. He served from September 1943 until March of 1946. Bob Married Rebecca Herring on June 2, 1946. On February 28, 1975, Bob was married to Martha Carter.

After his service in the marines, Bob returned to Wilson and went into the tobacco business with his father at Clark Warehouse in 1947. By 1963 he was in business for himself with Bob's Warehouse on Ward Boulevard in Wilson. Thirteen years later, he built Bob Clark's Warehouse on Yukon Rd. in Wilson. In the 1980s, he formed business partnerships with Mark Pridgen and Dewey Gaskins before retiring in 1993.

Bob has played several other roles in the tobacco industry in addition to running warehouses on the Wilson, N.C. tobacco market. He has served as a buyer for Hail & Cotton in Knoxville, TN and as a buyer on the Shelbyville, KY and Huntington, WV markets. Additionally he marked tickets in Hopkinsville, KY for a year.

He and Rebecca Herring Clark have four children; Elizabeth (Lindy) Newton, Charles Robert, Jr., Rebecca Cannon, and Sarah Jean Harrell. From these children they also have six grandsons, two granddaughters, and a great-granddaughter.

Mr. Clark feels that the most remarkable part of the tobacco industry is the fraternal bind that all people involved in tobacco have. In his retirement, he enjoys playing golf regularly.

This Honor Page is given to Mr. Clark by the Tobacco Farm Life Museum at the Excellence in Agriculture Dinner on November 29, 2001 honoring his outstanding contributions to our agribusiness community.