The legend and the legacy of Dr. Barbara Clark November 4, 1931–January 2, 2021

Abstract

Hearing Dr Barbara Clark present was an uplifting experience as she engaged the audience with her extensive knowledge, advocacy, challenging ideas, exploration of neuroscience, depth of insight, personal scenarios and stories of the many hours spent in classrooms with gifted students. When I first heard her present in South Africa at a conference organized at the University of the Witwatersrand, I noticed the quiet attentiveness of teachers and educators who nodded in agreement as she related truths about the gifted experience and then the long lines waiting to meet her and have her sign her book, “Growing Up Gifted” (Clark, 2012, Prentice-Hall). She shared her extensive knowledge presented in “Growing Up Gifted”(Clark, 2012), still used widely. With each edition from 1979, she infused current issues and trends, being aware that the book was being used throughout the world with unique perspectives. She received her Ed.D. in Gifted Education from the University of California in Los Angeles and continued to impact the field and provide leadership for certification, credentials and degree programs in her role as Professor of the Charter College of Education and California State University in Los Angeles (later Professor Emerita). No doubt the way she presented challenging ideas and critical issues was informed by her many professional leadership and Advocacy roles, as President of the California Association for Gifted Children, then as President of the National Association for Gifted Children in the USA and then globally as the President of the World Council for Gifted and Talented Children (1999–2003). Her eminence in Gifted education can be seen in the awards she received: the Ruth Martinson Award from the California Association; the Distinguished Service Award from the National Association for Gifted Children in 1997;