Bill Clements

William Perry "Bill" Clements Jr. (born April 17, 1917 in Dallas , Texas ; † May 29, 2011 ibid) was an American politician . He was from 1979 to 1983 and from 1987 to 1991 Governor of the State of Texas and 1971 to 1977 Deputy Minister of Defense of the United States .

Early years

Bill Clements graduated from Southern Methodist University . After his parents lost their farm during the Great Depression, he began working in the Texas oil fields in 1937. He was attracted to this industry and began a long career in the field. He later founded the company SEDCO, one of the largest oil drilling companies in the world, of which he became CEO.

Political career

Clements became a member of the Republican Party . Under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford , he was from 1971 to 1977 as Deputy Secretary of Defense deputy defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld . In 1978 he became the first Republican since Edmund J. Davis , who served from 1870 to 1874, to be elected governor of his state. Clements began his first four-year term on January 16, 1979. During this time, it was his company SEDCO, of all people, that caused enormous environmental damage in an oil spill. Otherwise, the governor campaigned for an improvement in the school system and the fight against crime.

In 1982, Clements was not re-elected in a new economic crisis. Therefore, he resigned from office on January 18, 1983. Four years later, however, he made it to the highest office in his state again. He was able to complete his second term as governor between January 20, 1987 and January 15, 1991. During this time he worked on overcoming economic problems. He tried to create new jobs by luring outside companies to Texas. He also worked on improving his state's relations with Mexico and continued his fight against crime. In his second term, he was also embroiled in a scandal over payments to individual football players that brought him to the verge of impeachment. Thereupon he renounced another candidacy in 1990.

Executions per year during his tenure:

year	1982	1987	1988	1989	1990
number	1	6th	3	4th	4th

Another résumé

After the end of his governor's tenure, Clements retired from active politics and took care of his two ranches where he ran cattle. But in the following years he stood up for the respective candidates of his party who applied for higher state offices. Even at the age of 90, he still supported John McCain's unsuccessful presidential campaign in 2008. Ex-Governor Clements was married twice and has two of his own and four stepchildren. His biological son B. Gill Clements was murdered in October 2010 at the age of 69 on his farm in Athens , Texas .

Web links

Individual evidence

↑ Brandi Grissom, Reeve Hamilton and Ross Ramsey: Former Texas Gov. Bill Clements This. In: The Texas Tribune, May 29, 2011 (accessed December 5, 2014).
^ Carin Miller: Body Found in Shallow Grave Confirmed as Son of Former Texas Governor Bill Clements. In: CBS News of October 26, 2010 (accessed December 5, 2014).

personal data
SURNAME	Clements, Bill
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Clements, William Perry Jr.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	American politician
DATE OF BIRTH	April 17, 1917
PLACE OF BIRTH	Dallas , Texas
DATE OF DEATH	May 29, 2011
Place of death	Dallas , Texas

[1] Brandi Grissom, Reeve Hamilton and Ross Ramsey: Former Texas Gov. Bill Clements This. In: The Texas Tribune, May 29, 2011 (accessed December 5, 2014).

[2] Carin Miller: Body Found in Shallow Grave Confirmed as Son of Former Texas Governor Bill Clements. In: CBS News of October 26, 2010 (accessed December 5, 2014).