W. Clark Durant (born May 13, 1949) is co-founder and former CEO of the Cornerstone Schools (Michigan), a group of charter and independent schools in the inner city of Detroit. Durant was a Republican politician in the state of Michigan, and was a candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2012. Early life Durant was born in Detroit, Michigan. He attended Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana, and graduated in 1971 with an economics major. Durant was in the Reserve Officers' Training Corps and graduated as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army Transportation Corps. He served 3 months of active duty at Fort Eustis, Virginia in 1971, then went into the Reserves and was honorably discharged as a captain. He received a J.D. from Notre Dame Law School in 1976. Durant was admitted to the Michigan bar in 1976. Education career and Cornerstone Schools After leaving the military in 1971, Durant served as the assistant to the president of Hillsdale College and then as a vice president of the college in 1972–1973. Durant co-founded and started Imprimis, a monthly speech digest with a 2010 circulation over 2 million, described by Salon.com as "the most influential conservative publication you've never heard of". He also served as the first director of Hillsdale's Center for Constructive Alternatives and established the Washington-Hillsdale Intern Program (WHIP). While at Notre Dame Law School, Durant taught a Great Books undergraduate course at Notre Dame. In 1991, Durant was one of the co-founders of the Cornerstone Schools (Michigan) with Adam Cardinal Maida. The Cornerstone Schools were founded as independent schools in the inner city of Detroit. Durant served as chairman of the board from 1991 to 2003, and CEO from 2003 to 2009. In 2009, he helped establish Cornerstone charter schools to increase public access to a Cornerstone education in Detroit. In 1994, Durant was elected to the State Board of Education in Michigan, and served as president of the board. In 1995, the board passed a bold mission statement with a 7–1 vote, but which also drew criticism for using religious language, some drawn directly from the Michigan Constitution and Northwest Ordinance. Durant stepped down four years later, in 1999, to focus on education in Detroit through the Cornerstone Schools. In 1995, Durant was named a Michiganian of the Year by the Detroit News for his work in education. In 2004, Durant created, and with Arnold Palmer