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historical notes
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Born on October 15, 1937, Clark Phillip Polak grew up in a Jewish middle-class family in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. After dropping out of Pennsylvania State University, Polak became a businessman and the owner of Frankford Personnel and Northeast Advertising Service. Polak was an influential activist in the Philadelphia gay community throughout the 1960s; in 1963 became president of the homophile organization, Janus Society. He also created, published, and edited the Society's widely-circulated magazine, Drum. By 1970, Polak relocated to Los Angeles, where he became a real estate investor and art collector. In Southern California, Polak helped establish the Stonewall Democratic Club and the ACLU Gay Rights Chapter, supported the Los Angeles gay community center, funded the International Gay and Lesbian Archives, ran an art gallery, and wrote art criticism. |
