William D Clark

William D Clark (1917-1985) was a journalist, British propagandist, and PR operative for the World Bank and British Prime Minister Anthony Eden. According to the Washington Post, 'during part of World War II, he headed the British Information Services office in Chicago. He later was a press attache at the British Embassy in Washington.'

According to an obituary in the Washington Post

William D. Clark, 68, a retired vice president for public affairs at the World Bank who spent much of his life working on assistance to developing countries, died of cancer June 27 at his home in Cuxham, Oxfordshire, England. Mr. Clark, a former journalist, joined the World Bank in 1968 as director of information and public affairs. He began on the same day that Robert S. McNamara, a former secretary of Defense, became its president. The two became friends as well as colleagues and in 1974 Mr. Clark was named vice president in charge of external affairs, making him responsible for all the bank's public relations. He accompanied McNamara on his travels and was a member of the inner councils of the institution.

In 1977, he helped organize the Brandt Commission. This produced a notable study on relations between the rich and the poor halves of the world, published under the title "North-South, A Program for Survival." In 1980, Mr. Clark retired from the bank and became president of the International Institute for Environment and Development in London. The institute was started by the late economist Barbara Ward, the influential advocate of assistance to the developing nations. He held this post until his death.

Mr. Clark was born in Northumberland, England. He was educated at Oriel College, Oxford University. He later was a lecturer and fellow in humanities at the University of Chicago, and during part of World War II, he headed the British Information Services office in Chicago. He later was a press attache at the British Embassy in Washington. He returned to England in 1946 and for the next three years was the London editor of The Encyclopedia Britannica. He then joined The Observer as diplomatic correspondent. He remained there until 1955, when he was appointed public relations adviser to prime minister Sir Anthony Eden. He went back to The Observer as an editor and from 1958 to 1960 he also hosted a public affairs program on the Independent Television Network in Britain.

In 1960, Mr. Clark became the founding director of the Overseas Development Institute in London. This produced studies on the needs of the developing countries and sponsored a small number of volunteers who did work similar to that of Peace Corps volunteers. Mr. Clark headed the institute until he joined the World Bank. Apart from his work on international development, Mr. Clark wrote a number of books. They include a novel about political life in London called "Number Ten," after the official address of prime ministers on Downing Street. It was made into a play that had a successful run in London. There are no immediate survivors.