Clark S. (Clark Smith) Beardslee

Born in Coventry, New York, on February 1, 1850, Clark Smith Beardslee was an American Congregational minister, teacher, and writer. He studied at Amherst College, graduated from Hartford Theological Seminary, and also pursued study at the University of Berlin.

Beardslee taught Hebrew at Hartford Theological Seminary early in his career, then served pastorates in Iowa, Arizona, and Massachusetts. He later returned to Hartford, where he became professor of New Testament interpretation and then professor of biblical homiletics, combining academic work with a pastor's concern for how scripture and preaching reach ordinary readers and listeners.

His writing reflects those interests. Works such as Teacher-Training with the Master Teacher and Abraham Lincoln's Cardinal Traits show a practical, thoughtful approach to religion, ethics, and teaching. He died in 1914, leaving behind books shaped by both the classroom and the pulpit.