Former SUNY Plattsburgh Interim President John Clark Dies at 75
Former SUNY Plattsburgh interim president, Dr. John Clark, who served campus from
June 2003 through June 2004, and most recently as Western Connecticut State University
president, passed away Jan. 2, 2026.
He was 75.
The SUNY Board of Trustees unanimously approved the appointment in May that year, and Dr. Clark began his tenure following the departure of then-President Horace Judson. At the time, Dr. Clark said there were three main goals he wanted to accomplish during his time at Plattsburgh: “Prepare the way for the new president; set short-term goals and keep the ship moving; and set a positive tone on campus.”
His post at SUNY Plattsburgh was his first such position in higher education. A self-proclaimed life-long student, Dr. Clark earned his bachelor’s degree in history from Providence College in 1972. Thereafter, he received a master of public administration from John Jay College in 1977, a master of arts degree in economics from Fordham University in 1980, a master of arts in philosophy from New York University in 1984 and a doctorate in education from Teachers College, Columbia University in 2001.
Prior to assuming the role of interim president at SUNY Plattsburgh, the Bronx native was senior vice president of public finance for Ramirez & Co., a New York City investment banking firm, which at the time had the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York as a major client.
After leaving SUNY Plattsburgh, Dr. Clark went on to serve as interim president at a number of SUNY universities before being named interim SUNY chancellor from June 2007 through June 2009. He later moved on to serve as senior administrator at the City University of New York before ending his career from 2015 through 2022 at Western Connecticut.
Dr. Clark was a U.S. Army veteran of the Vietnam War era and a devoted Irish Catholic, both of which he spoke of with pride.
He is survived by his wife, Carolyn, two adult daughters and twin granddaughters.
A funeral was held at Jan. 9, at St. Sebastian’s Roman Catholic Church, 58-02 Roosevelt Ave., Woodside, N.Y., 11377.
Services were entrusted to Kennedy Roth Funeral Home, 41–45 58th St., Woodside, N.Y., 11377.
— By Associate Director of Communications Gerianne Downs
