Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity expresses deep gratitude for our time with brother and Citation recipient Worley H. Clark Jr., North Carolina State ’56, as we mourn his passing. Clark was much admired as a past chairman and life trustee of the Sigma Phi Epsilon Educational Foundation. His leadership, character and devotion shaped our Fraternity and the broader business community.

Known to friends as “H.,” he was a member of SigEp’s North Carolina Beta chapter at North Carolina State, where he studied engineering and earned a bachelor’s degree. 

Clark began his distinguished career at Nalco Chemical Company in 1960 as a sales engineer. His talent, diligence and vision propelled him steadily upward, all the way to the position of president and CEO and, a few years later, chairman of the board. Under his leadership, Nalco made several key acquisitions that led to a period of phenomenal growth f0r the company.

His tenure was marked not just by financial success, but also strategic foresight. Clark championed international expansion, strengthened global operations and advanced corporate environmental policies long before such commitments became industry norms.

Clark stepped down as CEO in 1991 and fully retired from Nalco in 1994. He remained active in the business world through service on the boards of major corporations, including Northern Trust, Bethlehem Steel, Georgia-Pacific and Merrill Lynch.

Within SigEp, Brother Clark’s legacy is equally enduring. In 1991, he was awarded the SigEp Citation in recognition of his professional accomplishments. From 1995 to 2001, he chaired the Sigma Phi Epsilon Educational Foundation Board of Trustees, guiding the Foundation through years of growth, stability and expanded support for undergraduate leadership and academic excellence.

He leaves his daughters, Caryl and Cindy, as well as their husbands, three grandchildren, and nieces and nephews, to cherish his memory. Callie Anne, his loving wife of 69 years, preceded him in death.

Here, one of the many brothers who knew and loved Brother Clark reflects on their friendship:

“H. was the quintessential southern gentleman. I met him as an undergraduate, when he and his wife, Callie Anne, attended homecoming festivities at NC State. He shared stories about his time as an undergraduate and how SigEp changed his life and told me about his involvement with the Sigma Phi Epsilon Educational Foundation, which I’d never even heard of. Fast forward to my becoming a regional director … H. stayed in touch and gave me essential advice as I navigated complex leadership challenges. Even though he was CEO of one of America’s premier chemical companies, he took the time to always take my calls and listen. Back then, I didn’t truly appreciate how unusual that was, but I do now!

“Two things stand out about H. to this day: I never heard him say a cross word about anyone. The other was his ‘habit’ for being honest. When I once visited him in Chicago, he picked me up at the airport in his Rolls Royce. I tried not to make a big deal out of it, but I had to ask about the car. He asked, ‘Are you impressed?’ I told him I certainly was. I asked him if he was trying to impress me, and he said, ‘Obviously … why in the world would anyone drive one of these cars for any other reason?’ Just plain old honest.

“They don’t make them like H. anymore. He will be missed, and I’m grateful that I got to know him.”

— Billy Maddalon, North Carolina State ’90 (Past Grand President)

On behalf of Sigma Phi Epsilon — its brothers, volunteers and staff — we honor his memory with profound respect and gratitude. May his life continue to inspire us, and may his memory be a blessing.