In the Live Oak Ballroom, a Celebration of Life was hosted for Dr. Jim Clark, Florida historian and faculty member, on April 16. Students, colleagues and loved ones wrote memories and notes to Clark’s family in a book to honor his life at the entrance.
Ava Metzger
Longtime historian Dr. Jim Clark didn’t just teach history — he made people feel seen, built connections that extended far beyond the classroom and left behind a legacy that continues to resonate.
Laughter and tears filled the Live Oak Ballroom on April 16, as the community came together to celebrate Clark’s life, a professor remembered for his humor, Diet Coke and french fries, and the lasting impact he had on generations of students and colleagues.
Students, faculty, family and members of the community gathered to honor Clark’s life and his nearly 40 years of working at UCF, teaching over 10,000 students during his time. Throughout the evening, stories and shared memories from speakers highlighted who Clark was to them and to everyone around him during his life.
“People were blown away by the impact he had, both on a micro and a macro level,” Kevin Clark, Jim Clark’s son, said. “There was such a great mixture of funny stories, heartwarming stories and inspirational stories.”
During the celebration of life, students and colleagues described Clark’s lectures as entertaining and memorable because of the way he brought history to life.
“If you ever took one of his classes, you remember being completely absorbed,” said UCF alumna Sarah Boye, who spoke at the celebration of life.
When reflecting on who Clark was as a person, Alicia Duffy, an associate American history professor, said Clark used generosity as his encouragement. He made the people around him feel seen because he listened.
“He didn’t just teach history, he invested in the people who carried it forward,” Boye said.
The connection Clark made with the people around him was not only built through his generosity, but through his love for sharing life’s simple pleasures with those around him.
“We ordered enough fries for a full class reunion, and even more Diet Coke,” Emily Glazer, Clark’s daughter-in-law, said during the celebration. “That was Jim, a taste for the elegant, with deep appreciation for life’s simple pleasures.”
Speakers also highlighted Clark’s influence beyond the classroom, particularly through his work as a political analyst in the Orlando area.
“He had an encyclopedic knowledge of politics and history, but what made him exceptional was his ability to translate complexity into clarity,” said Allison McGinley, who worked with Clark as the former news director at WKMG.
The impact Clark left behind was shown that evening, through the number of people who came to honor his life months after his passing.
“It wasn’t just professors or colleagues, it was students too,” Kevin Clark said. “The fact that people came back just to pay their respects, that says everything.”
To honor his life, there is an ongoing effort to establish a scholarship in Clark’s name to support future UCF history students. Kevin Clark felt this was where his father would have wanted money to go more than anything.
“We don’t know his exact wishes, but we’re 99% sure that if we could give money toward anything, it would be helping kids at UCF learn about history,” Kevin Clark said. “That’s all he wanted.”
For those in attendance, the evening served not only as a reflection on Clark’s life, but as a reminder of the community he built through storytelling, mentorship and connection.
“The worst thing would be if that energy stayed in that room,” Kevin Clark said. “It’s about taking it and moving it forward.”