News for Members & Friends . Clopper Almon, Jr.

JANUARY 25, 1934 - MAY 17, 2024 .

Judith G. Blatchford

Southern gentleman, professor of economics, world citizen, omelet master, sometime tuba player, anthroposophist Clopper Almon died 113 days after his 90th birthday. His body gave out after years of good service, but he was fortunate not to have been seriously ill. A book about his long, active life, with such wideranging interests, would contain many chapters, and the reader is encouraged to look at the various obituary and biographical pieces available online. This article will focus on aspects of his inner story.

Clopper was brought up in the Episcopal church in Sheffield, Alabama, participating in activities and serving as an acolyte until he was about 17, when he felt formal religious practice was empty. Earlier, at about 14, he had found among his deceased grandfather’s books, Fourteen Lessons in Yogi Philosophy by Yogi Ramacharaka, and immersed himself in this fascinating new view of the world (I am looking at that two-volume set right now; Clopper never willingly got rid of anything).

When Clopper began graduate study of economics at Harvard, his beloved cousin, Alfred Bartles, introduced him to the writings of Rudolf Steiner. Upon opening a book and finding the first sentence, There slumber in every human being faculties by means of which he can acquire for himself a knowledge of higher worlds, he thought to himself, “I know that! If you can tell me more, Dr. Steiner, please do so!” He recognized this as an important day in his life; it was followed the next day by meeting fellow economics graduate student Shirley Montag, who became his wife. Sadly, Shirley died at age 40 from a brain tumor. For seven years she had asked Clopper to read Rudolf Steiner to her every evening, and he said they covered nearly all of the important lecture cycles.

What else did Clopper already know? In high school, algebra made no sense to him, but a teacher brought him to a delighted connection with geometry, and suddenly the math flood gates were opened. He sailed through years of high school math and college math at Vanderbilt, rediscovering what he already knew later - hitting the end of that knowledge in an advanced course at MIT.

People who experienced Clopper always commented on his deep, measured speaking voice. He remembered many beautiful lines of poetry from his early schooling for the rest of his life. He appreciated well-chosen words and smooth expression. He dove with enthusiasm into different languages, beginning with Latin and French in high school, then Russian and German in college. He eventually had active use in speaking or reading at least ten languages, with a nodding acquaintance with about seven more. Having a long daily commute to work by bus when he would have to stand, how could he use that time? Study Italian! Clopper had great affection for his second wife Joan’s mother who had fled Nazi Germany; what could he do for her? Learn Hebrew and participate in Friday services! Learning another language was for connecting with new ideas and with people. It was also a matter of courtesy and thorough preparation for work. Whenever he took up economics work in a new country, he immediately studied the language of that place and insisted that his assistants do so as well.

Clopper’s connection to anthroposophy began with reading and study and progressed to volunteer work as treasurer of the Anthroposophical Society and other related organizations, to acting as co-founder of the Rudolf Steiner Institute and the Washington Waldorf School. At the University of Maryland, he taught a course on Western Esotericism for three years. He and his wife Joan led anthroposophical study groups in their home for many years. Clopper’s research for that study led to publication of two little books, modestly called “study companions” to Rudolf Steiner’s An Outline of Esoteric Science and Lectures on the Gospel of Mark . In the latter, he states his perspective on such study:

Can we believe Steiner? . . . As to whether Steiner could make mistakes in clairvoyance, he repeatedly emphasized how easy it is to make mistakes in that realm. I presume he was speaking from experience. . . . So modesty is most appropriate in all matters of anthroposophical understanding

From the time of his undergraduate major in economics, Clopper said, “I wanted to do something useful” (in contrast to theoretical study). In relating how he happened to take up many of his projects, he said, “I thought: wouldn’t it be fun to__?” These two elements of usefulness and fun have been underscored in the range of Clopper stories that came in following the announcement of his death. The pervading theme has been his boundless energy, for example, leading a fast-paced tour of the historical sites in Rome immediately following an exhausting transatlantic airplane flight, or keeping an assistant - who had not had lunch - up till 2 or 3 AM to install exciting new computer software.

This energy led to writing several books; even Clopper did not know how many. I can count 16, and that is certainly not a complete list. Clopper acknowledged that, in part at least, he was able to do so much because he and his wives had not been able to have children. Additionally, his anthroposophical mind wondered whether he might have had some help from Edward. Before he was born, his parents had a son who only lived a few weeks…

When Clopper was five years old, he had been deeply impressed by a traveling marionette performance of Robin Hood. His mother made him a costume, and he played Robin Hood. A few days before Clopper’s death, we were visited by puppeteers who reconnected him with a picture of the same Robin Hood marionette (by famous puppeteer Tony Sarg) that he had seen as a child.

Clopper and I met after the deaths of our respective spouses and have been profoundly grateful for the joy we experienced in our late life marriage.