Merrell Clark, former president and leader of the Yale Westchester Alumni Association for many years, died April 4, 2025, in Westchester. He was 90 years old.
Upon hearing the news, one long-time board member described him as "Mr. Yale Westchester," and many swiftly agreed. Over many decades, few had devoted as much time, attention and care about Yale and about Yale's presence in Westchester.
His list of accomplishments, achievements and contributions to Yale and the area are too long to list or describe. So long the list would be that something would be missed--an event he led, a contribution he made, a call he made to recruit other alumni, a community organization he cared about, or a recent alum he encouraged or cheered for.
Through the years, in Westchester, he led community-service events, the annual Yale Book Award presented to outstanding high school juniors, fund-raising events for Yale scholarships, summer-internship programs, lectures inviting expert Yale professors to speak inWestchester, alumni events to watch Shakespeare productions or concerts on the lawn. He spearheaded an Outstanding Service Award for Yale in Westchester.
Merrell supported debate tournaments hosted by YWAA, featuring teams from Ivy schools, and was instrumental in pushing area alumni to join Yale's annual Day of Service each May.
And he was a Westchester voice at Yale (a forceful, vocal one), participating in alumni leadership activities in New Haven and leading his own Class of '57.
In recent days, other YWAA board members have paid tribute to Merrell:
"Merrell was a wonderful person and a charismatic presence.""So devoted, warm, positive, open-minded, and inspiring for all things and matters related to Yale. Always pondering and figuring out how can Yale and Yale alums do better or be better."
"He was a mighty oak for Yale Westchester."
In 2015, Merrell retired from active membership of the board of directors of YWAA, but continued to participate and join activities throughout the last decade, always recruiting other alums to join his Yale bandwagon.
At that time, YWAA paid tribute to him and chronicled his accomplishments, too many to enumerate here.
Merrell Clark (December 22, 2015)
Ask Yale alumni in Westchester or alumni around the country about YWAA or Yale Westchester, and many will say Yale Westchester is Merrell Clark '57 '70MAR. Or Merrell Clark is Yale and Westchester, wrapped in one, dedicated, eager, concerned and involved.Clark, a past president of YWAA, retired from the YWAA board this fall after decades of service. His contributions and value require pages and lists, and any effort to do so might still omit more pages and lists.
Clark's contributions list would encompass all facets of Yale Westchester, including the arts, community service, fund-raising, music, history, science, scholarships, alumni communications, non-profit organizing, alumni connections in the area and at Yale, and alumni celebrations for those who give back and for those who return to Yale.
The contributions list would include Clark's genuine passion for diversity and inclusion. Everybody should have a seat at the Yale Westchester table, he says. He cared deeply that Yale Westchester opened its arms to women, people of color, recent graduates, graduate-school alumni, and those interested in the sciences, as much as those interested in the arts and humanities.
That list would include Clark's detailed action plans and an abundance of strategies to push Yale in Westchester to greater heights. It would include his old ideas he knew that worked. It would include fresh, new ideas he thought up over a weekend to spark activity and service at Yale Westchester.
And for those who know him well, it would include bold recommendations and names of Yale people who should meet each other. It would include projects, recognition dinners, and designated-purpose funds, all of which were accomplished, completed, and got set up.
Let's review a few list items. Just a few. "What can and should alumni do for Yale and Westchester?" was his theme.
He kicked off the Yale Outstanding Service awards in Westchester. He reactivated the Westchester scholarship program and hosted scholarship fund-raising dinners that featured notable Yale alumni speakers such as Calvin Trillin '57, David Gergen '63, and George Pataki '67. He helped set up scholarship trusts in the names of alumni donors.
He was a big booster of the Westchester debate competition, organized the Bill Nightingale Fund to ensure its long-term existence, and expanded the Yale Westchester book awards to recipients in over 45 schools. He led a year-long centennial program to celebrate 100 years of Yale Westchester.
Arts and music are a favorite Clark pastime. He organized music events to permit Yale performers to showcase talents in Westchester and allow Westchester students and alumni to perform for a hometown audience. He aggressively spread the word about Yale talent (opera singers, violinists, dancers and theater performers) who resided in our neighborhoods.
Clark has been Yale Westchester's cheerleader captain for events at Caramoor, Boscobel, a recital at his Scarsdale church or a violin performance in a Greenburgh library.
This list could go on indefinitely and is inconclusive. This short list omits his presence and influence at Yale alumni events on campus and at Yale gatherings (formal and informal) around the country.
Fortunately Clark is not going away. He's retiring from attending boarding meetings and leading committees. Yet you can bet he'll share more ideas with all involved. He'll come up with meticulously outlined recommendations, appear and sit on the front row at Yale events, and applaud the efforts of alumni who tend to community needs.
And he'll push hard for Yale Westchester to be more inclusive, more active, more service-minded, better, and greater.
Let the bells that celebrate the life, presence and impact of Merrill ring loudly.
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