Originally from Ogden, Utah, Clara (Rowell) Bleak grew up in Preston, Idaho, where she developed an interest in nature from her grandmother, who taught her how to make ceramics out of the local shale and and weave baskets from the marsh reeds. Bleak graduated from the University of Idaho in 1946 with a Bachelors in Art. Bleak's love for nature continued and grew into an interest in environmental and wilderness education. Clara and her husband Ralph have been generous donors to the University of Idaho and College of Natural Resources, and after his death, Clara established the Ralph M. Bleak Memorial Endowment for Wilderness Education and Research, allowing many more students the opportunity to study wilderness research and environmental education particularily at the Taylor Ranch Wilderness Research Station.