NAFUSA historian and past president John E. Clark, shown above at the Atlanta conference, was one of thirteen former United States Attorneys and one former assistant attorney general who met in New Orleans 33 years ago to form NAFUSA. After the Atlanta conference, Clark took a few minutes to describe this event in the attached The Founding of NAFUSA: Why and How It Came To Be.

As Clark describes:

All were veterans of the Nixon and Ford administrations. All had held office during difficult times for United States Attorneys. Their experiences had left them firmly convinced that the office of United States Attorney is uniquely essential to the fulfillment of every president’s constitutional obligation to “take care that the laws be faithfully executed,” and that protecting the independence and integrity of the office they had held is a cause that transcends politics. Their deliberations in New Orleans resulted in the creation of NAFUSA, a non-profit organization whose charter reflects a non-partisan commitment to protecting and furthering the integrity, independence and effectiveness of the office.

The NAFUSA Newsletter – 3-15-79 also describes the initial meeting in New Orleans. Clark was elected the organization’s first secretary and became president a few years later. According to Clark,

The 1980 meeting was held in Washington, D.C.  At that meeting the question where to meet in 1981 was discussed at an informal gathering of the board and the officers.  A few wives were present, and Harriet Crampton, Scott’s wife, said, “I’ve always liked San Antonio.  Can we go there?”  And so it was decided.

Clark served as the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, 1975-1977. He currenty practices law with Goode, Casseb, Jones, Riklin, Choate & Watson, P.C. in San Antonio.