Webster remembers former principal

Arianna Peper
Editor-in-Chief

“He was great at really caring for his students and looking for the best in everyone he worked with,” math teacher and assistant baseball and softball coach Jacob Clark said about his father, Jon Clark.

Former head principal of Webster Groves High School Jon Clark, born March 10, 1966 (age 59), passed away on Saturday, Oct. 11, from brain cancer.

Jon served at WGHS as the assistant principal from 1996 to 2003 and the head principal from 2003 to 2018.

Mickey Erb, who was Jon’s assistant in his role as head principal, said, “Dr. Clark was such a rare human being. He was the most selfless, generous, and genuine person I’ve ever known. He always made you feel like you were the most important person in the room, and he had always shown so much gratitude–for his career, for his students and staff, and for his family.”

Similarly, Jacob said, “I feel like he was great at being able to connect to people. I believe he was a great educator that looked for the best in every student he worked with.”

Erb said, “Dr. Clark was such a revered member of the WGHS community. He was involved with the community and was always visible at events to support our students.”

According to the WGSD Foundation, Jon’s efforts while in the district launched innovative programs like Future Leaders, the Statesmen Center/alternative school, Makerspace, and the Chelsea Detrick Experiential Learning Center— making WGHS one of the highest-ranked high schools in the state.

During his time in the district, WGHS also achieved record-high AP, SAT, and ACT scores.

In 2005, Jon was recognized as “Principal of the Year” by the St. Louis Association of Secondary Schools for his dedication to students, leadership, and commitment to their academic and personal success.

Madeline Craig, who was a WGHS senior when Jon was assistant principal, said, “ Dr. Clark was a calm, consistent leader. As a student, he made me feel seen. I always felt like he knew everything that was going on with me, from my basketball games to club events. I think his ability to just consistently notice us as students is something that still stands out to me.”

Craig added Jon was a friend of her dad and Jon “had been there for my dad through a lot over the years. Through that, he has continued to support me in personal ways as well. When I got honored for something in the classroom as a teacher at Kirkwood, he came with my family to surprise me there. He truly cared for those he led.“

During his retirement, Jon also received the Webster Groves “Heart of Gold” award, demonstrating his dedication and service to the community.

Erb, Craig and Jacob all noted that they hope to embody the qualities Jon had through his leadership and impact on the students, staff and community around them.

Erb added, “Although Dr. Clark was very serious about his vision for WGHS, he was also quite funny. Every year during parent-teacher conferences, we used different color balloons to show each department’s location. I would walk through the halls with a colorful bouquet of 50+ balloons. Without fail, he called me ‘Mary Poppins,’ and he always chuckled to himself when saying it.”

According to Jacob, Jon also loved spending time with his family, going to the lake, doing yard work and golfing.

Jacob said, “He’s the reason I became a teacher. Growing up, I watched him make such a strong impact on his students, and I saw firsthand how rewarding that could be.”

“He showed me how important it is to truly care for my students and to always believe in and support the kids I teach. I’ve loved being back at Webster and getting the chance to work with all the amazing students we have at WGHS,” Jacob added.

A Jon Clark Memorial Fund has been created for the renovation of the library as a part of the vision Jon had for WGHS, which was to create a “warm, welcoming common area in the library for students to collaborate, study and explore their passions,” Erb said.

Arianna Peper–Editor in Chief This will be  Arianna Peper’s third year on ECHO staff. She made several contributions while taking journalism class her freshman year.

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