News & Views for Southern Sailors - Southwinds Magazine

Clark Mills,the Designer of the Optimist PramBy Clifford A. McKay, Jr.Clark Wilbur MillsThe designer of the Optimist Pram, Clark Wilbur Mills,moved to Clearwater, FL, from Jackson, MI, when hewas three years old. World War I had just ended.Clarke’s* father sold his grocery store, providing the cashneeded to make the change. His dad was clever and creative.He worked with his hands and could fix anything that neededfixing and could build almost anything. He took his skillsto Florida and started his life there. Clarke’s grandfather wasa cabinetmaker. He built a wealth of small wooden piecesduring the long winter nights in Michigan. The two of themwere good models and teachers for Clarke’s building skills.As a baby, Clarke found a bag of nails and a hammer inthe house, so he drove all the nails into the living room floor.His mother was furious, but his dad noted how skillfully hehad driven the nails. As a boy, Clearwater Bay captured hisimagination. He designed and built a small sailboat so hecould venture out on its sparkling waters. He liked it somuch that he built other boats for himself and his friends.Together they organized the Clearwater Junior Yacht Club atthe Haven Street Dock.When the clouds of war darkened in 1939, Clarke was ayoung man looking for work. He worked in building constructionand applied for government boatbuilding jobs.When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, he decided to jointhe Navy, but at the last minute, his application to work in thePhiladelphia Navy Yard in the Small Boat Shop wasapproved. The boat shop was a block long with a crew of 130.“It’s not like I was intimidated,” said Clarke, “I wasscared spitless. The shop superintendent asked me what kindof boats I built. I pulled my wallet out and showed him a littlesnapshot of the sloop Richard and I had built, and he saidwithout hesitating, ‘You will start here as boatbuilder thirdclass.’ I guess I was just pretty uptight and not too bright. Istood up and said, ‘Well, I guess I can just get all back toFlorida. I didn’t come all this way for no third class! No sir. Iam a first-class boatbuilder and to hell with it.’ ”The superintendent calmed him down, explaining that ifhe was good, he’d make second and first class in no time.The Small Boat Shop extended his knowledge of boats.He quickly proved his skill and was promoted to first-classbuilder, the first in his group to achieve this honor. He wastransferred to the Big Boat Shop and taught to make thestems for the Navy’s 50-foot motor launches. He wasalways good friends with his fellow workers. Chattingtogether at lunchtime, they shared their knowledge andpassion for boats.In the middle of World War II, Clarke packed his tools,*Note from the author: There is a discussion about spellingClarke’s name. His name is Clark Wilbur Mills. He was called“Clarke” (pronounced like “Clarkey), not “Clark.” In this article,when I used the full name, I left the “e” off. When I used only thefirst name, I used “Clarke.” My sister and I continue to debatethis issue.46 May 2012 SOUTHWINDS www.southwindsmagazine.com