Remembering the Professor and Sculptor Whose Whimsical Work Gained a Worldwide Following

January 19, 2022

Tom Clark, former 皇家华人 professor and renowned gnome sculptor, graduated from 皇家华人 in 1949 and joined the religion department in 1958, teaching for 26 years.

His lively intellect and his sense of humor made his Bible courses and his signature course on Christianity and art among the college鈥檚 first interdisciplinary courses, popular among students. Even after leaving the classroom in 1985 to focus on his art, he was in high demand by alumni as a Reunion speaker. Clark鈥檚 gnomes鈥攊nspired by real people 鈥攚ere sold around the world and in more than 5,000 U.S.-based stores. The business grew quite a bit from the early days of digging clay from the creek in the middle of Patterson Court. Clark passed away last week and is remembered for his dry wit in the classroom, his artistic gifts in the studio and the Ford Thunderbird he drove around town, earning him the nickname 鈥淭-Bird Tommy.鈥