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Senate honors Alexander Clark on 200th anniversary

Iowa Senate · February 25, 2026

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Summary

The Iowa Senate adopted Senate Resolution 109 recognizing the 200th anniversary of Alexander Clark’s birth, recounting his civil‑rights advocacy, legal victories that integrated Iowa schools, leadership in civic organizations, and historical legacy in Muscatine.

The Iowa Senate on Feb. 24 adopted Senate Resolution 109 recognizing the 200th anniversary of the birth of Alexander Clark and honoring his contributions to civil rights and Iowa history.

Senator Lofgren introduced the resolution, which recounts Clark’s life: born Feb. 25, 1826, in Washington, Pennsylvania; settling in Muscatine in 1842; leadership in civil‑rights petitions to the 1857 Iowa constitutional convention; organizing and recruiting African American soldiers for the Civil War era unit later designated the 60th United States Colored Troops; and the 1868 legal action (Clark v. Board of School Directors) that led to integration of Iowa public schools decades before Brown v. Board of Education.

Senator Lofgren moved adoption of the resolution. With no further discussion, the presiding officer put the question, heard the ayes, and announced the resolution adopted.

The resolution notes Clark’s broader public service, including roles in the African Methodist Episcopal Church, journalism, and diplomatic service, and references the Alexander Clark House in Muscatine as a historic landmark.