This series contains President Clark's correspondence to and from the general public regarding his stance on various campus incidents, particularly relating to issues of racial discrimination and the anti-war student movement on campus.

The rise of the African-American student movement in the 1960s drew national attention to the issue of racial discrimination on campus, specifically as it pertained to the treatment of African-American student athletes. The movement at SJSU was led by sociology professor Harry Edwards and the student group United Black Students for Action. Evidence of the severity of the issue manifests in the many crank letters President Clark received over the course of the year 1969, in which persons expressed in no uncertain terms their opinions on African-American students attenting San José State University.

In 1967, Professor Edwards threatened to disrupt the San José State vs. University of Texas, El Paso football game if administrative action was not taken against the issue of racial discrimination. As a result, Clark cancelled the football game to avoid possible violence and entered into negotiations with Edwards, which resulted in the creation of the first Ombudsman position on a university campus in the U.S. The position was filled by J. Benton White, an ordained minister and a founding faculty member of the Religious Studies program at SJSU. President Clark also addressed discriminatory policies in the Greek system.

In the late 1960s, the anti-war student movement against U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War also grew. Anti-war demonstrations at SJSU included student protests against the Dow Chemical Company, Navy recruiters, and the disruption of an ROTC drill. Together, these actions drew large public commentary, both in support of and against President Clark's decisions on such divisive issues. This series includes correspondence resulting from these and similar events.