William P. Clements
Clements High School
William Perry "Bill" Clements, Jr. was born in Dallas and worked as an oil driller for many years. He founded SEDCO, the world's largest offshore drilling company. He entered politics as the United States Deputy Secretary of Defense under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, in the latter administration under Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld (1975-77; 2001-2006). Clements is the first Republican to have served as governor of Texas since Reconstruction. He was governor for two nonconsecutive terms from 1979 to 1983 and 1987 to 1991. Clements' eight years in office are the most served by any governor prior to current governor Rick Perry who, having taken office upon the resignation of George W. Bush in December 2000, surpassed Governor Clements in Perry's third year of his second term.