Joe Clark, tough and dedicated Paterson Eastside principal who inspired film ‘Lean on Me,’ dies at 82

Joe Clark, whose toughness and commitment to the students at Eastside high school in Paterson put him on the cover of TIME magazine and inspired the classic 1989 movie “Lean on Me,” has passed away at the age of 82, his family confirmed.

Joe Clark dies

The lifelong South Orange resident had retired in Gainesville, Florida. Clark was surrounded by family when he died Tuesday after a long battle with illness, his family said in a press release.

Paterson educator legend

The no nonsense educator helped turn around Paterson’s Eastside High School, which was suffused with crime and drugs when he took over as principal.

Before taking over at the school, Clark taught at Public School 6 Grammar School in Paterson and served as the Director of Camps and Playgrounds for Essex County. He was soon named principal at the grade school, and the once-failing school was said to be transformed into the “Miracle of Carroll Street”.

Committed to the pursuit of excellence, Clark greeted the challenges presented to him following his appointment as the Principal of crime and drug-ridden Eastside High School with eager optimism. In one day, he expelled 300 students for fighting, vandalism, abusing teachers, and drug possession and lifted the expectations of those that remained, continually challenging them to perform better. Roaming the hallways with a bullhorn and a baseball bat, Clark’s unorthodox methods won him both admirers and critics nationwide. Steadfast in his approach, Clark explained that the bat was not a weapon but a symbol of choice: a student could either strike out or hit a home run, his family said.

“Paterson has lost a legend. Joe Clark spoke strongly and carried a big stick,” Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh said. “If anyone needs to see what type of positive influence he had on his students then I suggest they watch, “Lean On Me.”

Joe Clark before education career

Born in Rochelle, Georgia, on May 8, 1938, Clark’s family moved north to Newark, New Jersey, when he was six years old.

Clark attended Newark Central High School, and went on to obtain his bachelor’s degree from William Paterson College (now William Paterson University), a master’s degree from Seton Hall University, and an honorary doctorate from the U.S. Sports Academy.

After he retired from Eastside in 1989, Clark worked for six years as the Director of Essex County Detention House, a juvenile detention center in Newark. He also wrote the book Laying Down the Law: Joe Clark’s Strategy for Saving Our Schools, detailing his methods for turning around Paterson Eastside High School and how they can be applied to combat crime, permissiveness, and academic decline in schools nationwide.

Clark was predeceased by his wife, Gloria. His legacy lives on through his children, Joetta, Hazel, and JJ, and grandchildren, Talitha, Jorell, and Hazel.