Vincent L. Clark was award the West Tennessee Historical Society’s THE PAUL R. COPPOCK ANNUAL AWARD at this year’s Shelby County History Awards Dinner held August 2, 1017 at Davies Manor Plantation’s Hillwood Hall. This award is presented to an individual or organization for outstanding contribution to the area’s history.

Mr. Clark attended the University of Southern Mississippi where he earned a BS and later MA in History.  Vincent worked on the Mississippi Civil Rights Oral History Bibliography project in 1997 and the Adams County Courthouse Papers project in Natchez, Mississippi in 1997-1998.  He served as the Curator/Historian of the Tipton County Museum from 1998 to 2000, working specifically on Military History exhibits and oral histories with local veterans.  In 2000, he joined the Shelby County Archives staff.  He completed the Tennessee Archives Institute in 2003 provided by the Tennessee State Library and Archives.  In 2007, Vincent became the Shelby County Archivist.  He has taught U.S., Military, World, and Tennessee History part time at the University of Memphis for over 15 years, earning the History Department’s Adjunct Faculty of the year award for 2005-2006 and again in 2011-2012.  He served as the Editor for the West Tennessee Historical Society Papers from 2010 to 2016.

The members of WTHS are grateful to Mr. Clark for his continued contributions to the society and our area’s history.