Clarence C. Barksdale ’54

Clarence C. Barksdale ’54, of St. Louis, Mo.; Dec. 25. Following graduation from Brown and service in the U.S. Army Counterintelligence Corps, he joined First National Bank in St. Louis. He was named president 16 years later, the youngest person to hold the title at that time. He was instrumental in the renaming of the bank to Centerre Bancorporation before its buyout from Boatmen’s Bancshares. In 1989, he retired from banking and became vice chairman and a member of the board of trustees at Washington University, where he remained until 2004. During his career he served on numerous boards and was a trustee of Brown. He volunteered with many civic organizations that included the Missouri Botanical Society, the Boy Scouts of Greater St. Louis, St. Louis Zoo, and the Muny Opera. He was named one of TIME Magazine’s “Top 200 Young Leaders in the Country” in 1974 and St. Louis Globe-Democrat “Man of the Year” in 1982. He enjoyed crossword puzzles and playing tennis. He is survived by a daughter and son-in-law; a son and daughter-in-law; three grandchildren, including Elizabeth C. Barksdale ’23; his brother Henry ’50; and many nieces and nephews.