Clarence Johnson Carver (1884-1940)

Clarence Johnson Carver was born in Buckingham, Pennsylvania on May 13, 1884. He attended the Hughesian Free School and later Colorado College for one semester. He later came to Dickinson College where he graduated in 1909. Continuing his education, he completed graduate work at the University of Pennsylvania and New York University. He received his M.A. (1915) and Ph. D. (1917) from New York University.

He began his teaching career at the Upper Black School in Eddy, Pennsylvania from 1901 to 1902 and the West Grove School from 1906 to 1907. After his graduation from Dickinson College he taught at the Norristown High School for two years and then joined the Paterson High School faculty in Paterson, New Jersey from 1911 to 1918. From 1918 to 1920, Carver was the Vocational Director of the International Y. M. C. A. at New York.

In 1920 Carver joined the Dickinson College faculty as Associate Professor of the Bible. A year later he became Associate Professor of Education and in 1924 full Professor of Education. Carver was very organized and therefore in demand as secretary to many clubs and committees. He was the secretary of the Dickinson Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa from 1921, secretary of the Dickinson College Library Guild from 1928, and secretary of the faculty from 1929 until his death in 1940. Carver was a charter member of the fraternity, Theta Chi and served as an alumnus counselor.

Outside of Dickinson College, Carver was a member of the Pennsylvania State and National Educational Associations. Also, he was active in the Carlisle Kiwanis Club and a Mason. Carver belonged to the Allison Memorial Methodist Church where he was a lay leader. Carver married Anna B. Zinn in 1909 and had a son and three daughters. In his spare time he liked to write poetry. Clarence Johnson Carver died August 17, 1940 after a two month long illness in Baltimore, Maryland. At his funeral service two of his poems were read, “When I am Dead” and “I am Ready.”