The school also requires students to take courses in Mormon theology.

“We want a student who has a strong moral base,” Hobbs said.

‘RENAISSANCE’ MAN

In his position as HBS dean, Clark placed a strong curricular emphasis on ethics. After a series of scandals rocked the business world, Clark last year instituted a requirement that all MBA candidates take a full-semester course in “leadership and corporate accountability.”

He also presided over “a renaissance in the last decade in the use of information technology” at HBS, University President Lawrence H. Summers said at yesterday’s press conference. Clark implemented online study guides and interactive computer-based tutorials, among other innovations.

Meanwhile, Clark gained a reputation as a prodigious fundraiser.

The school kicked off a three-year capital campaign in 2003 with a $25 million donation from Silicon Valley venture capitalist Arthur Rock and a $32 million gift from Weather Channel founder Frank Batten.

The money from Rock’s donation helped finance a five-fold increase in the number of HBS professors whose primary focus is entrepreneurial leadership.

The $500 million campaign will come to a close this year.

Clark has also overseen the construction of new HBS facilities both on the school’s Allston campus and around the world.

He led what Shad Professor of Business Ethics Joseph L. Badaracco termed a “building renaissance,” including the construction of the Spangler Center, a state-of-the-art neo-Georgian colossus that includes a post office, restaurants, and study space.

He oversaw the creation of satellite research centers in Buenos Aires, Hong Kong, Paris, Tokyo, and Menlo Park, Calif. An office in Mumbai, India, is slated to open this year.

“He has brought a really strong sense of dedication to the aims of the institution, a willingness to base decisions on facts rather than politics, a sense of openness and candor, and a real commitment to doing what’s best for the school,” Badaracco said.

THE END OF AN ERA