The Latin Department consisted of Virginia Winter (later Jensen) and Tom Clark. They were perfect foils for each other: her classes were always way too much fun yet we managed to somehow actually learn our declensions and conjugations; and his felt like a humanities class led by one of the calmest, most centered adult men I had ever met. (And his impeccably trimmed goatee I thought was way too cool.) He guided us through some of the great classics, including the highly baudy Catullus poems. (Yikes! My Roman Catholic parents had no idea of this body of Latin literature!!) Somehow, miraculously, I gained enough knowledge from him to squeak by with a 3 on the AP Latin exam.
Under separate posting I will send a couple of pics from my copy of his book From the Baracher's Chair: 50th and France Avenue 1936-1988. It's a great trove of information and photos from that fifty-year period.
Oh yes, the chariot races! And really, all of Latin Week was a blast -- although I dare say that it is likely that "slave auction" is an idea whose time passed?
Mr Clark had a gentle, caring soul. He treated everyone with respect -- even when we didn't deserve it -- and really cared about all his students and what he was teaching.
Tom Clark was my Latin teacher for Latin II, IV and V. All the best geeks and nerds took Latin. I’m sure you could classify and stereotype the kinds of kids that took French, Spanish and German too. Mr. Clark was even tempered and dared to rock in that Maynard G. Krebbs goatee long before they were actually considered fashionable. He allowed us to play recorded music over ear phones in the study cubicles while we worked translating Latin to English on paper. Favorite set lists were from The Beatles and The Mamas and the Papas. Mr. Clark encouraged serious learning but also allowed us to have a great time and grow as friends. We were all gods and goddesses and he made us grow educationally and as individuals as well. We all had Latin names, but my favorite and most memorable was Sex. You know who you are.
Bruce Miller
Star Tribune 2 Dec 2018
Mark Lynch
The Latin Department consisted of Virginia Winter (later Jensen) and Tom Clark. They were perfect foils for each other: her classes were always way too much fun yet we managed to somehow actually learn our declensions and conjugations; and his felt like a humanities class led by one of the calmest, most centered adult men I had ever met. (And his impeccably trimmed goatee I thought was way too cool.) He guided us through some of the great classics, including the highly baudy Catullus poems. (Yikes! My Roman Catholic parents had no idea of this body of Latin literature!!) Somehow, miraculously, I gained enough knowledge from him to squeak by with a 3 on the AP Latin exam.
Under separate posting I will send a couple of pics from my copy of his book From the Baracher's Chair: 50th and France Avenue 1936-1988. It's a great trove of information and photos from that fifty-year period.
A great teacher, I will never forget his classes.
-- Mark Lynch
Lea Ann Legler (Thielman)
I absolutely loved the Chariot Races! What a clever way to engage learners. Mr. Clark was a wonderful, dynamic teacher.
Mark Lynch
Oh yes, the chariot races! And really, all of Latin Week was a blast -- although I dare say that it is likely that "slave auction" is an idea whose time passed?
Richard Vogel (Lincoln Vogel)
Mr Clark had a gentle, caring soul. He treated everyone with respect -- even when we didn't deserve it -- and really cared about all his students and what he was teaching.
Bruce Miller
James Bennett replied:
Tom Clark was my Latin teacher for Latin II, IV and V. All the best geeks and nerds took Latin. I’m sure you could classify and stereotype the kinds of kids that took French, Spanish and German too. Mr. Clark was even tempered and dared to rock in that Maynard G. Krebbs goatee long before they were actually considered fashionable. He allowed us to play recorded music over ear phones in the study cubicles while we worked translating Latin to English on paper. Favorite set lists were from The Beatles and The Mamas and the Papas. Mr. Clark encouraged serious learning but also allowed us to have a great time and grow as friends. We were all gods and goddesses and he made us grow educationally and as individuals as well. We all had Latin names, but my favorite and most memorable was Sex. You know who you are.