Ismael Anselmo Clark Mascaró

Born in Regla, Cuba, son of José Coleto Clark Morera, a patriot of distinguished enlightenment who actively participated in the cause for Cuban independence, and of Andrea Mascaró.

After completing his primary education at the Public School of Regla, he entered the Seminary of San Carlos and San Ambrosio, where he studied until receiving minor orders. The outbreak of the War of Independence in 1895 found him immersed in preparations to undertake a trip to France, with a view to entering the novitiate of the Order of Preachers. This event altered the course of the aspiring theologian, who with his family set out for exile.

Already in Key West, he enlisted in the expedition of Colonel Loret de Mola, which would arrive in Cuba by Boca Ciega on August 7, 1896, aboard the tugboat "Three Friends". After multiple vicissitudes, he fell prisoner near Madruga and was expelled from the Island.

In Veracruz and in the Mexican capital he was another revolutionary in service of his homeland's independence; he collaborated with Santiago Cancio Bello and Carlos Soldenilla in the work of the Cuban Clubs, and in the newspaper Las Dos Repúblicas, founded by the Mateo brothers. Already in the capital of Mexico, he joined other revolutionaries such as Nicolás Domínguez, José Figueredo, Pedro Calvo and Presbyter Luis Musterlier, with whom he collaborated in different missions aimed at promoting the independence cause.

He developed arduous work as a writer, which materialized in his unpublished works Kempis Mundanizado and Leyendas Nacionales. During this stage of his stay in emigration, he had contact with two of the most prominent Mexican poets of that time: Juan de Dios Peza and Amado Nervo.

With the advent of peace he returned to his native Regla, where in 1899 he entered primary school teaching; shortly thereafter he obtained a position in the City Council and actively participated in social life, as evidenced by his participation in the reopening of the Liceo Artístico y Literario of the locality, at whose official ceremony he unveiled his composition titled: "Al Liceo". From 1903 onwards he joined the Guaicanamar Lodge, and later would preside over Lodge Regla No 6, as well as the "Pedro C. Someillán".

He served provisionally as Director of Public School No 4 of Regla and later was appointed to the same position at Public School No 19.

On June 30, 1906 he obtained the title of Doctor in Pedagogy, and in 1908 he took on a high responsibility in the Provincial Superintendence of Schools. He held the position of Provincial Inspector of Primary Instruction in Havana and interim inspector of Camagüey, around the year 1915. He competed in opposition at the Teacher's School of Havana, where he obtained a Professor position, which he exercised for a brief time.

He resumed his earlier studies in the specialty of Dental Surgery, with which title he presented himself to a competitive examination, as a result of which he obtained the position of Professor of Applied Therapeutics at the Dental School of the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy of the University of Havana in 1918. He taught the subject of Stomatology at the School of Dentistry, with his own texts: Applied Therapeutics to Stomatology (1924) and Estomatological Magisterial Formulary (1931). He was elected Dean of said Faculty and delivered the opening address of the academic course 1920-1921.

Years later, when he again provisionally held this position in 1936, the first official steps were taken aimed at the construction of a new building for the Faculty, and the following year he was entrusted with drafting a Regulation of the Professional Career.

A prolific writer, he was the author of pedagogical works, among which could be mentioned: The Practical Method, Vulgar and Scientific Concept of Education, Treatise on Civility, Language, and Applied Grammar. He wrote various scientific works such as: Johnson Operation, Therapeutic Diagnosis, Cancer, Therapeutics of the Mouth and Anesthetics. He also ventured into literature, with titles among which appear: Leyendas Nacionales, La Tolerancia, Con las gafas del diablo, Fables and Reverse-fables and Inanity of Religions, as well as theatrical works, of which the following merit mention: Regla year 1908, The Blockade, Crucifixes, Secret Marriage and The Intervener.

He left an extensive unpublished work, among which was the complete format of a Dictionary of Medical-Stomatological Terms. Similarly, he translated into Spanish various books such as Formal Steps, by Herbert, written in German, Pedagogical Psychology, by Prince, in English, and The New School, originally in Italian.

He directed the Guaicanamar Magazine, and collaborated with El Clarín, Letras, Regla Ilustrada, Heraldo de Cuba, La Escuela Moderna and Tesoro de la Juventud, as well as in the Evolution of Cuban Culture, by José Manuel Carbonell, among other various publications.

He was a Member of the Association of Cuban Emigrants from 1925 onwards, and of the Academy of Arts and Letters, from November 29, 1936, when he unveiled his work titled: The Fable; its Historical, Literary, Social and Popular Elements and my Intrusion in it. He was elected member of the Academy of Medical, Physical and Natural Sciences of Havana on July 30, 1935, however he did not take possession of his position as an Academician, to which he resigned on April 16, 1936.

He was elected as the first Professor Emeritus of the Faculty of Dentistry of the University of Havana on January 29, 1941, and to his initiative was due the design of the emblem of Cuban stomatology.

ACTIVE BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Inaugural Address of the Academic Course 1920 to 1921. Imprenta El Siglo XX, Havana, 1920
Applied Therapeutics to Stomatology with its clinic and oral hygiene. Editorial Labor, Barcelona, 1925
"Introito". In: Menéndez Serpa, Gabriel. Erotic: (chronicles and stories). Imprenta y Papelería de Rambla y Bouza, Havana, 1925
Cooperation between scientific, professional and cultural entities, and formation of inter-American associations of a special nature, in order to carry out projects of an international character (Inter-American Congress of Rectors, Deans and Educators in General. Topic VII). Carasa, Havana, 1930
Estomatological Magisterial Formulary. Editorial Labor, Barcelona, 1935
The Fable; its Historical, Literary, Social and Popular Elements and my Intrusion in it. Molina, Havana, 1936, pp. 1-66
"Principles of General Hygiene and Generalities of Oral Hygiene". In: Estomatological Magisterial Formulary and Applied Therapeutics to Stomatology. Vol. VIII. Editorial Labor, S.A., Barcelona, 1936
"Report to the National Stomatological College on the emblem of the Faculty of Stomatology". In: Odontological Index of Cuba. University of Havana, Havana, 1953, p. 42
"Criticism and University Reform". In: University of Havana. Havana, 1959, pp. 77-100.

PASSIVE BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Álvarez y Valls, Luis. Along the Paths of Stomatological Teaching in Cuba. Editorial Científico-Técnica, Havana, 1988, pp. 126, 154, 164, 166, 168-169, 184-188 and 232
Carbonell, Miguel Ángel. "Ismael Clark: his life and his work (Reply Address by the National Academy of Arts and Letters)". In: The Fable; its Historical, Literary, Social and Popular Elements and my Intrusion in it. Molina, Havana, 1936, pp. 67-78
Carbonell y Rivero, José Manuel. Evolution of Cuban Culture (1608-1927). Vol. 17. Imprenta Montalvo y Cárdenas, Havana, 1928, pp. 361-372
Criner García, Carlos A. Contribution to the History of Cuban Dentistry. s/e, Havana, 1946, pp. 37-38
Martínez Fortún y Foyo, José A. "Notes for the History of Dentistry in Cuba". In: Notebooks on the History of Public Health. No 23. Havana, 1963, pp. 44, 60, 70 and 71
Mena, César A. History of Dentistry in Cuba. Vol. 2. Ediciones Universal, Miami, Florida, p. 99, 103, 118, 120, 135-136, 143, 147, 150, 177, 227-228 and 268.
DOCUMENTARY SOURCES:
File. In: Archive of the National Museum of the History of Sciences "Carlos J. Finlay". Academic Collection; "Ismael Anselmo Clark Mascaró (1876-1964)" (Typewritten Copy). In: Archive of the History Commission of the Liceo Artístico y Literario de Regla.