Born sixty-two years ago in the East Coast Demerara village of Plaisance, Clarke attended Queen’s College from 1962-1969 where he established a reputation as an outstanding student and a know sportsman. In his tribute to Dr. Clarke Leader of the Opposition Brigadier (retd) David Granger wrote that during his soujourn at ‘QC’ Clarke was “the man to know in ‘the compound’ – a Sergeant in the Cadet Corps, prefect and sports personality of the year.”
Later, he was to extend his appetite for academia beyond secondary school, earning a Bsc in Economics from the University of Guyana, a Bsc. in Commerce from the University of Windsor, in Canada, an MBA in Finance and International Business from the University of Windsor and a PhD in Monetary Economics from the University of the