Doctor Howard Clark was a male Human anthropologist within the United Federation of Planets in the 24th century. In the 2360s, Clark served as the director of the Federation science station on Ventax II. He found their drastic change from an industrialized to an agrarian society fascinating. He also became familiar with the Ventaxian head of state, Acost Jared. Aboard the Enterprise-D, Clark explained to Captain Picard that the Ventaxians believed they were doomed due to the return of Ardra, a devil in Ventaxian theology.