White House Fellow
1975

The White House Fellowship program is our country’s most prestigious leadership and public service program, instituted by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964. Each year thousands of applicants compete for the dozen or so available awards available.

Wes Clark was awarded a White House Fellowship in 1975, one of 14 selected from over 2,000 applicants.

The official web page described the program as follows:

President Johnson's intent was to draw individuals of exceptionally high promise to Washington for one year of personal involvement in the process of government…

The purpose of the White House Fellows program is to provide gifted and highly motivated young Americans with some first-hand experience in the process of governing the Nation and a sense of personal involvement in the leadership of society. It is essential to the healthy functioning of our system that we have in the non-governmental sector a generous supply of leaders who have an understanding -- gained first hand -- of the challenges that our national government faces. In a day when the individual feels increasingly remote from the centers of power and decision, such leaders can help their fellow citizens comprehend the process by which the Nation is governed.”

Then Major Clark was assigned to the Office of Management and Budget where he prepared budget reports and other special projects for President Gerald Ford. A few of the many other White House Fellow recipients who were to go on to national prominence include Colin Powell, Jane Cahill Pfeiffer (Former Chair, NBC), Dr. Sanjay Gupta, and Tom Johnson (former Chairman and CEO of CNN).

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_House_Fellows,
Wesley Clark Biography, Antonia Felix
Photo source for the Class of 1975-76 http://www.whitehouse.gov/fellows/