at other Worcester institutions including the Worcester Polytechnic Institute and the College of the Holy Cross.
Clark is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity". It was a founding member of the Association of American Universities, but departed in 1999. The university competes intercollegiately in 17 NCAA Division III varsity sports as the Clark Cougars and is a part of the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference. Clark faculty, alumni, and affiliates have included business executives and inventors of the wind chill factor and the birth control pill.
== History ==
=== Founding and early history ===
On January 17, 1887, successful American businessman Jonas Gilman Clark announced his intention to found and endow a university in the city of Worcester, filing a petition in the Massachusetts Legislature requesting a charter for Clark University. An Act of Incorporation was duly enacted by the legislature and signed by the governor on March 31 of that same year. Clark University …
