Bill Clements, Former Texas Governor Dies At 94

I was only 8 years old when Gov. Bill Clements took office in 1979.  He was the first Republican Governor to be elected to office since Reconstruction. Yes, Texas was once a democratic state.  The former Governor had been sick for some time and had a brief stay in a Dallas hospital preceding his death on Sunday.  He had also been grieving the death of his son whom he lost last year.  A neighbor shot and killed

the younger Clements.  Clements served two terms as Texas Governor which were separated by a democratic win by Mark White in 1982.  Clements was a business man and felt the state should be run as a business as well.

His second term was a little tarnished as he admitted to a pay-for-play scheme while on the governing board of SMU.    Clements served on the board during his first and second term as governor, new of the pay-for-play and let it continue. The NCAA punished SMU by suspending the football program for 2 years.

Clements was a multimillion dollar oil man before his political career.  In fact he donated $100 million dollars to the UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas just a couple of years ago.  He wanted to a new generation of doctors to be able to provide the best medical care possible.

Clements is survived by his wife and a daughter.