Dr. Harold D. Clarke, Ashbel Smith Professor in the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences (EPPS) at The University of Texas at Dallas, died Jan. 11 at the age of 78.
Clarke, a political scientist and research methodologist, was an internationally recognized expert on voting and elections. His research focused on electoral choice and the political economy of party support in the U.S., Great Britain and Canada.
“Dr. Clarke joined us in 2001, playing a key role in the expansion of the political science program as a doctoral degree was added,” said Dr. Jennifer Holmes, dean of EPPS and professor of political science, public policy and political economy. “He was instrumental in attracting top students to the program and is remembered as a dedicated mentor, helping both his students and his young colleagues start their research careers. His contagious enthusiasm will be missed.”
Much of Clarke’s research was in collaboration with his wife and EPPS colleague, Dr. Marianne Stewart, professor of political science, throughout their nearly 50 years together.
Recently, Clarke and Stewart directed Cometrends, a nationwide survey research project in which they measured public attitudes and opinions on a variety of topics, including the 2020 U.S. presidential election.
Stewart said Clarke’s significant research contributions advanced the knowledge and understanding of the contingent nature of public support in a representative democracy, and of elections and the performance-based evaluations that voters often bring to their electoral choices.
“He was instrumental in attracting top students to the program and is remembered as a dedicated mentor, helping both his students and his young colleagues start their research careers. His contagious enthusiasm will be missed.”
Dr. Jennifer Holmes, dean of the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences
Clarke enjoyed helping students learn how to use multilevel modeling, survey research methodology, structural equation modeling and time series analysis to address interesting and important research questions.
“‘The H’ had a presence that filled the room with energy, enthusiasm, inspiration and intellect,” Stewart said.
His academic career included appointments in political science at the University of Windsor in Ontario and Virginia Tech. Clarke also taught in methodology programs at the University of Essex in England and Concordia University in Montreal.
From 1998 to 2001, Clarke served as Regents Professor and chair of the Department of Political Science at the University of North Texas. While there, he led recruiting initiatives and added a significant methodological training component to the department.
When he arrived at UT Dallas, he was the editor of the prestigious scholarly journal Electoral Studies and joint editor of Political Research Quarterly. He brought the two publications with him, making UT Dallas one of the few universities in the country at the time to have three leading scholarly journals in a school of social sciences.
“He was not only a prolific scholar and very well known in his field, but he had a public presence that was important for academia, for the University and for the community. His natural ability to comment in the media was one of the things that made him special.”
Dr. Inga Musselman, UT Dallas provost
Dr. Inga Musselman, provost, vice president for academic affairs and the Cecil H. Green Distinguished Chair of Academic Leadership, said she valued how Clarke served as one of the public faces of the University, often participating in media interviews regarding public opinion surrounding elections and timely political topics.
“I always appreciated his point of view,” she said. “He was not only a prolific scholar and very well known in his field, but he had a public presence that was important for academia, for the University and for the community. His natural ability to comment in the media was one of the things that made him special.”
Clarke’s research was supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Economic and Social Research Council in the United Kingdom, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council in Canada, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2009, he served as director of the Division of Social and Economic Sciences at the NSF.
He co-wrote several books including Performance Politics and the British Voter; Political Choice in Britain; and Affluence, Austerity and Electoral Change in Britain.
Clarke received his PhD from Duke University and his master’s and bachelor’s degrees from The University of Western Ontario.