Joe Louis Clark depicted in the 1989 film
Lean On Me passed away on Tuesday (December 29) at the age of 82.
Once the leader of Eastside High School in Paterson, New Jersey, Clark’s methods of reaching students, including carrying a baseball bat and bullhorn, were the inspiration behind the film.
Clark was born in Rochelle, Georgia on May 8, 1938. His family moved to Newark, New Jersey when he was six years old. He went through grade school there, graduating from Newark Central High School before earning a bachelor’s from what is now William Paterson University. Clark received his master’s degree from Seton Hall University and an honorary doctorate from the US Sports Academy.