b. 1917 – Dallas, Texas
Governor: 1979–1983
After graduating from Highland Park High School, Clements worked in Texas oil fields before attending Southern Methodist University. He served in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers during World War before entering the oil business and founding Southeastern Drilling Company (SEDCO), an offshore drilling company. Clements served as deputy secretary of the Department of Defense in the Nixon and Ford administrations.
Clements became the first Republican governor since Edmund J. Davis. He proposed a budget that was $1 billion less than the legislative budget during the 1979 legislative session, and vetoed more than $250 million in expenditures, including state and university construction projects. He sought re-election in 1982 but lost to Attorney General Mark White. After leaving office he became chairman the Southern Methodist University Board of Governors.