Bill Clements facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bill Clements
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| 42nd & 44th Governor of Texas | |
| In office January 20, 1987 – January 15, 1991 |
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| Lieutenant | William P. Hobby Jr. |
| Preceded by | Mark White |
| Succeeded by | Ann Richards |
| In office January 16, 1979 – January 18, 1983 |
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| Lieutenant | William P. Hobby Jr. |
| Preceded by | Dolph Briscoe |
| Succeeded by | Mark White |
| Acting United States Secretary of Defense | |
| In office May 24, 1973 – July 2, 1973 |
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| President | Richard Nixon |
| Preceded by | Elliot Richardson |
| Succeeded by | James R. Schlesinger |
| 15th United States Deputy Secretary of Defense | |
| In office January 30, 1973 – January 20, 1977 |
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| President | Richard Nixon Gerald Ford |
| Preceded by | Kenneth Rush |
| Succeeded by | Robert Ellsworth |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
William Perry Clements Jr.
April 13, 1917 Dallas, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | May 29, 2011 (aged 94) Dallas, Texas, U.S. |
| Resting place | Grove Hill Memorial Park Dallas, Texas |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouses |
Pauline Gill
(m. 1940; div. 1975) |
| Children | 2 |
| Residences | Dallas, Texas |
| Alma mater | Southern Methodist University (dropped out) |
| Profession | Oil driller |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | United States Army Corps of Engineers |
| Years of service | 1941–1945 |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
William Perry Clements Jr. (April 13, 1917 – May 29, 2011) was an American businessman and politician. He was a member of the Republican Party. Clements served two terms as the governor of Texas. These terms were not one after the other. He was governor from 1979 to 1983 and again from 1987 to 1991.
When Clements first became governor in 1979, he was the first Republican to hold that job in Texas since the Reconstruction era. This period was after the American Civil War. His eight years as governor were the longest for any Texas governor until 2009. He was also the first governor elected for more than one term after Texas changed its rules in 1972. This change made the governor's term four years long.
Before becoming governor, Clements earned a lot of money in the oil business. He also worked for the U.S. government. He was the United States Deputy Secretary of Defense under President Richard Nixon. After his first term as governor, he worked at Southern Methodist University. He was the chairman of their Board of Governors.
Contents
Early Life and Career
Bill Clements was born in Dallas, Texas, in 1917. He went to Highland Park High School in 1934. After high school, he worked as an oil driller. This was because his father lost his job during the Great Depression. The Great Depression was a time when many people lost their jobs and money.
In the late 1930s, Clements studied engineering at Southern Methodist University. But he soon went back to working in the oil industry. During World War II, he served in the United States Army Corps of Engineers.
In 1947, Clements started his own company called Southeastern Drilling Company (SEDCO). This company drilled for oil in the ocean. SEDCO grew very big, working in 20 countries. It became a top drilling company. He sold the company in 1984. By 1978, Clements was very wealthy.
From 1973 to 1977, Clements worked as the United States Deputy Secretary of Defense. He served under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford. For a short time in 1973, he was even the acting Secretary of Defense.
Becoming Governor
Bill Clements became governor of Texas on January 16, 1979. He was a Republican, and he won against the Democrat Dolph Briscoe. To become governor, he first had to win a primary election against another Republican. Then, he won the main election against John Luke Hill. Clements won by a very small number of votes.
In 1982, Clements ran for governor again. But he lost to Mark Wells White, a Democrat. The economy was not doing well at that time. Also, there was a big oil spill called the Ixtoc I oil spill. The oil rig that caused the spill was owned by Clements's old company, SEDCO. Even though his shares were held in a special trust, this event hurt his campaign.
Coming Back to Win Again
After losing in 1982, Clements became chairman of the board of governors at Southern Methodist University (SMU). But he decided to run for governor again in 1986. He won the Republican primary election.
In the main election, Clements ran against Governor Mark White again. White was not very popular at the time. This was partly because of new rules about high school sports and teacher testing. Clements won the election, getting his second term as governor. He was sworn in on January 20, 1987.
Bill Clements as Governor
During his first term, Clements faced a state legislature that was mostly Democratic. This meant it was sometimes hard for him to get his ideas passed into law. In 1979, the legislature even voted to overturn one of his vetoes. A veto is when the governor rejects a bill.
Clements also made some important decisions about legal cases. In 1980, he changed a death sentence to life in prison for a man named Randall Dale Adams. This man was later found to be innocent.
In his second term, Clements worked on several important goals. He wanted to reduce crime and make education better. He also tried to help the Texas economy grow. He worked to improve relationships with Mexico, especially on issues like immigration.
However, his second term was also affected by a big problem at Southern Methodist University (SMU). Clements had been the chairman of the SMU board. In 1987, he admitted that the board had allowed payments to be made to some football players. These payments were against the rules of the NCAA. The NCAA is the group that sets rules for college sports.
Because of these rule breaks, the NCAA gave SMU's football team a "death penalty." This meant the team could not play games for the 1987 season. SMU also decided not to play in 1988. This caused a lot of damage to the school's football program. Clements later apologized for his part in allowing the payments to continue.
Because of this scandal, some people wanted Clements to be removed from office. He decided not to run for a third term as governor. Ann Richards, a Democrat, became the next governor in 1991.
After Being Governor
After leaving office, Bill Clements lived in Dallas with his second wife, Rita Crocker Bass. She was the First Lady of Texas during both of his terms. Clements was known for his strong and energetic personality.
He continued to support other Republican politicians in Texas. He also made a very large donation of $100 million to UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas in 2009. This was the biggest donation ever made in Dallas at that time. A new hospital at UT Southwestern was named in his honor.
In October 2010, Clements's son, B. Gill Clements, passed away.
Death
Bill Clements died on May 29, 2011, at the age of 94. He passed away in a Dallas hospital due to natural causes. He is buried in Grove Hill Memorial Park in Dallas.
See also
- Southern Methodist University football scandal
- Clements Center for National Security
Videos
- (1) Closing Plenary Session of the National Governors Association from July 31, 1990 [1]
- (2) C-SPAN Interview on July 30, 1990 [2]
- (3) International Trade and Economic Development from Republican Governors Association on November 13, 1989 [3]
- (4) Commencement Address by President George H.W. Bush at Texas A&M University on May 12, 1989 [4]
- (5) Committee on Justice & Public Safety from the National Governors Association on February 26, 1989 [5]
- (6) Bush-Quayle Campaign Rally at the Galleria Shopping Center in Houston, Texas on November 7, 1988 [6]
- (7) Campaign Rally by President Ronald Reagan at Mesquite Rodeo Arena in Mesquite, Texas on November 5, 1988 [7]
- (8) Tribute to US House Speaker Jim Wright from October 11, 1988 [8]
- (9) Quayle Campaign Rally from September 27, 1988 [9]
- (10) Justice & Public Safety Committee from the National Governors Association on August 8, 1988 [10]
Images for kids
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Clements High School in Sugar Land, Texas
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Clements in 1981
