History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century/4/Rush Clark
RUSH CLARK was born at Shellsburg, Pennsylvania, on the 1st of October, 1834. He was a graduate of Jefferson College and studied medicine. But in 1853 he decided upon the study of law and at Iowa City entered the law office of his brother. For a time he had editorial charge of the Iowa City Republican in the campaign which resulted in the election of James W. Grimes for Governor. This was the first defeat of a Democratic State ticket. In 1859 Mr. Clark was elected to the House of the Eighth General Assembly on the Republican ticket. He took high rank as a legislator, was reëlected in 1861 and chosen Speaker of the House in 1862. In 1875 he was again elected to the House, and in 1876 was elected to Congress. He was reëlected at the expiration of his first term and died during the first session of the next Congress, in 1879.