author
S. H. (Solomon Henry) Clark
1861–1927
A longtime University of Chicago teacher, he wrote practical, influential books on reading aloud, public speaking, and literary interpretation at a time when spoken expression was a central part of education. His work helped shape how teachers and students approached the printed page and the spoken word.
1 Audiobook
How to Teach Reading in the Public Schools
by S. H. (Solomon Henry) Clark
About the author
Born in 1861, Solomon Henry Clark built his career around the teaching of speech, reading, and expression. University of Chicago archival records describe him as an Associate Professor of Public Speaking there from 1901 to 1921; they also note that he studied at the university, earning a Ph.B. in 1897, and had previously lectured at Trinity University from 1886 to 1892.
Clark wrote a number of instructional works aimed at teachers and students, including How to Teach Reading in the Public Schools, Handbook of Best Readings, Practical Public Speaking (with Frederic Mason Blanchard), and Interpretation of the Printed Page. Taken together, these books show a writer deeply interested in voice, reading, and the art of making literature come alive in the classroom and in performance.
He died in 1927, but his books continued to circulate for years afterward through libraries, reprints, and digital archives. For listeners and readers today, his work offers a window into an earlier era of American education, when clear speech, oral reading, and literary interpretation were treated as essential skills.