About Thomas J. Clark
Lived 1869 – 1907 (aged 37–38). Thomas J. Clark was an inventor.
Thomas Jefferson Clark (1869–1907), originally from New Hampshire, United States, was a lifelong friend and partner of John K. Stewart as they built the companies that would one day be the foundation of the Stewart-Warner Corporation of Chicago, Illinois.
Clark is probably only known today for his Clark Foot Warmers. These small automobile heaters contained coal. The coal embers would emit heat providing some relief in a time when automobiles did not have such options. The production of the coal needed for these heaters violated city smoke regulations and forced Stewart and Clark to build a new plant in Aberdeen, Illinois, about 25 miles west of Chicago.
Clark was an active partner and advisor to John Stewart up until Clark's death during the 1907 Glidden Tour. Clark was demonstrating the Stewart Speedometer during this rally style event when the Packard he was driving slid off the muddy road and into a ditch.
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Important facts
People in Thomas J. Clark's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Thomas J. Clark's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Thomas J. Clark?
American inventor (1869–1907)
When was Thomas J. Clark born?
Thomas J. Clark was born in 1869.
When did Thomas J. Clark die?
Thomas J. Clark died in 1907.
What was Thomas J. Clark's occupation?
Thomas J. Clark was an inventor.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Thomas J. Clark. https://biography.guide/thomas-j-clark/
MLA: "Thomas J. Clark." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/thomas-j-clark/.
Chicago: "Thomas J. Clark." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/thomas-j-clark/.
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