James Clark (OMT 1953-1959 and SCR 1964-1996)
Died February 2024
A prodigiously talented yet humble member of the Merchant Taylors' Community.
The School is very saddened to hear of the passing of James Clark, a prodigiously talented yet humble member of the Merchant Taylors’ community.
Universally respected by all, he was a monitor and won several prizes for Mathematics and Natural Sciences before going up to Oxford with a Sir Thomas White Scholarship. He gained a First and a College prize.
Such was the School’s high regard for James that Hugh Elder secured his agreement to return to Sandy Lodge when a vacancy arose, which it did after two years’ teaching at Mill Hill.
He went on to lead the Mathematics department, write the timetable and organise examinations. At his own request he remained one of the unsung heroes of his generation before moving on to work for the examination boards until shortly before his death.
Owen Toller writes:
When I came to Merchant Taylors’ in 1990, I already knew of James’s work for what was then UCLES and shortly became the OCR and CIE Examination Boards. I had, of course, also known that he was my predecessor-but-one as Chief Mathematics Master, a post that he combined with being both Timetabler and Examinations Officer. These days, of course, either would be incompatible with running a department, and the latter at least now needs several different people to carry it out.
Almost at once he was granted a sabbatical year to chair the OCR development of the new A-level Maths and Further Maths modular syllabuses, but he then returned to Taylors’ for one year before deciding to retire from teaching. He was a superb teacher, even of the less mathematically expert, but his heart wasn’t really in it. On the other hand he continued to work for OCR and CIE right up until a few months before his death, and he was regarded almost as a legend by both his fellow examiners and the full-time officers of the Board.
To ensure that examination questions are fully correct it is necessary to have knowledge and understanding that are much deeper and wider than the formal content of the syllabus being examined; James’s technical knowledge of the relevant mathematics was as good as that of any university mathematician, and this was coupled with an exceptional ability to probe draft questions and uncover issues that might be overlooked by almost all candidates and their teachers. His vast experience allowed him to make vast numbers of constructive suggestions and improvements. After his sabbatical I asked him, as part of the Department’s routine sharing of tasks, to check a mock exam draft that I had written, and I received some four pages of detailed criticism, suggestion and advice – the sort of thing that actual OCR examiners would always receive.
In later years, when one of my own papers was being checked by several different people, it was always James’s comments to which I would turn first and which formed the basis for the next draft; others’ comments could be fitted in around his! He typeset many OCR papers himself until fairly recently and it was extremely unusual to spot any problems with his first proofs. Needless to say, the formatting – always a bugbear for typesetting maths papers, especially when non-specialists are involved – was immaculate.
It would be no exaggeration to say that to him personally was due much of the credit for the high standard of the Board’s A-level mathematics exams over nearly 40 years, and everyone at the Board knew that he was irreplaceable.
His informal contributions were equally valuable. Quite often I would contact him about a possible technical issue in a paper and would always get the advice I needed. Although he kept his private life very much to himself and was strongly opposed to the Board’s suggestion of an occasion to celebrate and thank him for his work, he was good company when off-duty. I shared many a train journey to and from Cambridge with him and we always had plenty to talk about, whether developments in examining and syllabus content, changes at Merchant Taylors’, or mathematics teaching in general.
James was unique.
From other members of the SCR
“James Clark got a laudatory first in Maths Schools at Oxford in 1962, getting more sums right than anyone else. And yet he was a very good teacher of the less able. He could do the Times crossword very quickly, and was very well read in traditional English literature, especially Jane Austin and Dickens.
He used to watch the under 15 cricket team on Headmaster’s pitch quite frequently. He, Bruce Ritchie, and I used often to take a lunch time stroll across the grounds. He was a very good friend to me.” David Mash
Just a small reminiscence, though one that expressed James' dry sense of humour. Whenever a mathematical solution was presented at A level, in particular, if it showed evidence of having been manipulated incorrectly to get the right answer, he would scribble "Wangled" across the bottom.
The boys knew this characteristic and one group had a stamp (in his handwriting with the word Wangled) and ink pad made up and presented it to him. To his credit, he duly used this with that particular group.” Dennis Trebble
It took a long time to appreciate the range and extent of his part in the running of the school. He just got on with what needed to be done and you just knew that if he had had a part in it, it would work. And not a computer in sight. Amazing. John Ombler
James was of course modest, not just in his intellectual prowess but also his expertise in running the logistics of a major private school.
Timetabling and examinations were organised with seemingly flawless patience and a touch of his quiet humour too.
James was also a key contributor to external examinations and this work continued after he retired from MTS. Retired yes, but with no well-deserved, full staff send-off; he simply did not want one. He left the logistics in impeccable order of course.
I am glad I popped round to his flat with a small gift from MTS at that time. I greatly appreciated his warm welcome to me as the first female staff member, which was no different to any other newcomer.” Lesley Slator
James interviewed me (along with Francis Davey) back in 1981 - James was undoubtedly the main reason I accepted the post when it was offered. He was an extremely efficient and calm Head of Mathematics who always showed an interest but was happy to leave you to your own teaching methods - those were the days.
I also became part of James’ A level marking team for both UK and International A levels - again he was encouraging and exacting at the same time with always his dry wit in the background. He continued with his examination work until relatively recently, I gather.
As mentioned by others, he also organised the timetable and examination logistics for the school - and not a computer in sight. I well remember seeing James and Roger Greene closeted in James’ study for a week or so each summer term poring over the timetable written in pencil on large sheets of paper.
Aside from the mathematics he was extremely well-read and always showed an interest in any plays I was involved in - though obviously he could never be persuaded to attend one! Julian Slator
His reputation as both a mathematician and an examiner extended way beyond MTS. He was also a trusted and caring tutor during my time as Hilles House Master. He somehow seemed indestructible. Tony Horrox
Really sad news...a great man and the ‘’wizard’’ of the time-table in my early days at MTS..when he did it all by hand. John Pallant
James was Head of Maths at the same time as organising the timetable, and without help of a computer. And at the same time he also ran the exams - a much more onerous job in those days, as the invigilation was done in-house, by teachers who were very prone to not turning up, and had to be fetched at the run from wherever. All that quietly, pleasantly, efficiently, and never known to make a mistake or be ill. Quite something. Bill Bingham