ALUMNI “WALL OF HONOR” The West Liberty University Alumni Board of Directors instituted a project in 1990 to demonstrate to current students, visitors, and friends that the college has some very successful graduates. This project, known as the “Alumni Wall of Honor,” is a dramatic way to honor some of the college’s most distinguished alumni and display pride in the accomplishments of its graduates. The concept was suggested by then Associate Professor of Physics Robert W. Schramm, who is a 1958 graduate of the college and a 2002 Alumni Wall of Honor inductee. The Alumni Wall of Honor is housed in the south end of the Union known as the Alumni Lounge.
Joseph D Clark, Jr
Inducted 2010Born in Wheeling, W.Va., and raised in Ohio, Dr. Joseph D. Clark, Jr. earned a B.A. degree in biology/education from then West Liberty State College in 1964. After graduation he began his graduate education at West Virginia University earning an M.S. and Ph.D. degree in pharmacology and did post-doctoral research at the University of Missouri.
Clark’s career spanned more than 30 years in the pharmaceutical industry dedicated to enhancing the safety and effectiveness of non-prescription drugs. He held various executive positions including Vice President Research, Medical and Dental Clinical Research, and Regulatory Affairs at the Warner Lambert Company and Vice President, Regulatory Affairs at Schering Plough Healthcare.
Working with industry executives, trade organizations, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration he played a significant role in the Over-the-Counter Drug Review, which resulted in non-prescription drug products with proven safety and effectiveness and standardized comprehensive labeling. Many drugs previously available only by prescription were evaluated and approved for over-the-counter use.
Dr. Clark also served as Assistant Professor of Clinical Pharmacy at the University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy and the first Director of the Drug Product Evaluation Program designed to educate future pharmacists in clinical research and the new drug application (NDA) regulatory process.
He served on the Board of Directors and was Chairman of the Research and Development Council of New Jersey, an association of many of the nation’s leading technology-based commercial and academic organizations. He chaired the Patent Award Committee that annually recognized a New Jersey inventor and invention and was a member of the Selection Committee for the New Jersey Inventors Congress and Hall of Fame.
In his hometown of Randolph, N.J., he was active in the community and local government. He chaired the Drug Action Committee and was a member of the Senior Citizens Advisory Committee, the Planning Board, and the Zoning Board of Adjustment. He was elected to a term on the Randolph Township Council. Kiwanis International recognized him as a “Distinguished President” of the Randolph Kiwanis.