Bill Clements | |
|---|---|
 Portrait of Clements, c. 1991 | |
| 42nd & 44th Governor of Texas | |
| In office January 20, 1987 – January 15, 1991 | |
| Lieutenant | William P. Hobby Jr. |
| Preceded by | Mark White |
| Succeeded by | Ann Richards |
| In office January 16, 1979 – January 18, 1983 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| Children | 2 |
| Residence(s) | 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 Republican Party politician who served two nonconsecutive terms as the governor of Texas between 1979 and 1991. His terms bookended the sole term served by Mark Wells White, a Democrat who defeated Clements in the 1982 election only to lose his campaign for reelection in 1986.
When Clements was first sworn in 1979, he became the first Republican to have served as governor of Texas since Reconstruction. When Clements left office for good at the end of his second term in 1991, his eight years in office were the most served by any Texas governor until Rick Perry surpassed his total in 2009. Clements was the first governor to be elected to multiple terms since Texas changed its constitution in 1972 to extend its governor's term of office to four years. Since then, George W. Bush, Rick Perry, and Greg Abbott, also Republicans, have all won multiple terms.
Before he became Governor of Texas, Clements made his fortune in crude oil and served as United States Deputy Secretary of Defense for President Richard Nixon. After his first gubernatorial term ended, Clements joined the administrative staff at Southern Methodist University where he served as chairman of the Board of Governors. While there, he presided over a massive pay-to-play system in the school's football program that resulted in catastrophic consequences for the team and the end of his political career.