Biographical information comes from an award Clark received in 2000 from University High School:

"Mary Clark was recognized for her more than 25 years of service to the Girl Scout organization, first as a volunteer and then as a professional staff member. In fact, she says she remembers when scouting was mostly about selling cookies and camping rather than the computers, car maintenance, personal finance, science, college preparation and career exploration opportunities that now are hallmarks of the organization Clark herself was a girl scout from third to sixth grade, while in elementary school. Her mother was a Girl Scout leader in the 1940s, before Mary was even old enough to be a Brownie or Junior Girl Scout. Following graduation from Uni High in 1955, Mary attended a local business college and then enrolled in college as an elementary education major. Not long after that, she met her husband, the Rev. Morris Clark. He was the pastor at the Second Baptist Church in Mattoon for 20 years before retiring and now is an associate pastor of Salem Baptist Church in Champaign. The two enjoy singing and were members of the National Council for Negro Musicians, Inc. Clark took voice lessons and from a teacher who traveled from Chicago to teach a group of Black musicians each week, and also took piano lessons for 14 years. The Clarks are the parents of four children, who attended the graduation ceremony with their spouses and children: The Rev. Maurice Clark of Champaign, Katheryn Clark Lewis of Mt. Juliet, TN, - who also attended Uni High in the 1970s - and twins, the Rev. Edward Clark of Stone Mountain, Ga., and Edwina Clark Hendricks of Lithonia, GA. Clark joined the Green Meadows Girl Scout Council professional staff in 1973 as the full-time Field Services Director. She later assumed responsibility for adult training and, in 1982, she received Girl Scouting's top award for adults at the time, the Thanks Badge. She is now Adult Education Director for the Green Meadows Council which currently involves more than 4,000 girls in 400 troops in a six-county region. Two of her granddaughters recently have become Brownies, which means four generations of Mary's family have been or are involved in Girl Scouting."