He was the son of Robert Clark, Jr. and his wife Mary Fitch. Following attending private schools as a child, he entered Rersselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1852. One summer he was a rodman in the engineer corps from Illinois Central Railroad. Upon graduation as a civil engineer, he held a position at the Dubuque and Sioux City Railroads. In 1859 he went west to Denver, Colorado being a original township working with mining and water supply. In 1862 after the American Civil War had started, he went to Santa Fe, New Mexico to survey land. Then he became an aide to General Donaldson of the Union Army. He saw action as an aide to Brig. General Stough at the Battle of Apache Canon. In 1864, he returned to Chicago. He married on January 7, 1873 to Mary Louise Qua, daughter of Charles A. Qua of New York. He had several local governmental offices including city council. In 1881 he ran as the Republican candidate for mayor of Chicago but did not win. His family spent their summers in a 23-room cottage on Water Street in Marion, Massachusetts. The house was always opened to some of the nation's most talented, well-educated, and interesting people. He was a successful Chicago industrialist, investor, who had partnered with Alexander Graham Bell, and Collector for the Port of Chicago during the World's Fair of 1893. He had two children, Bruce and Cecil.

He was the son of Robert Clark, Jr. and his wife Mary Fitch. Following attending private schools as a child, he entered Rersselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1852. One summer he was a rodman in the engineer corps from Illinois Central Railroad. Upon graduation as a civil engineer, he held a position at the Dubuque and Sioux City Railroads. In 1859 he went west to Denver, Colorado being a original township working with mining and water supply. In 1862 after the American Civil War had started, he went to Santa Fe, New Mexico to survey land. Then he became an aide to General Donaldson of the Union Army. He saw action as an aide to Brig. General Stough at the Battle of Apache Canon. In 1864, he returned to Chicago. He married on January 7, 1873 to Mary Louise Qua, daughter of Charles A. Qua of New York. He had several local governmental offices including city council. In 1881 he ran as the Republican candidate for mayor of Chicago but did not win. His family spent their summers in a 23-room cottage on Water Street in Marion, Massachusetts. The house was always opened to some of the nation's most talented, well-educated, and interesting people. He was a successful Chicago industrialist, investor, who had partnered with Alexander Graham Bell, and Collector for the Port of Chicago during the World's Fair of 1893. He had two children, Bruce and Cecil.