Former Governor Bill Clements Remembered At Funeral
DALLAS (AP/CBSDFW.COM) - Friends and supporters of former Texas Gov. Bill Clements gathered Thursday to pay tribute to the state's first Republican governor since Reconstruction.
The public memorial service began Thursday afternoon at St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church, following a private burial in Dallas.
The man whom Gov. Rick Perry has called the father of the modern-day Texas Republican Party died Sunday at the age of 94 after a long illness. Clements was also grieving for his son, shot dead by a neighboring landowner last year in East Texas.
Inaugurated in 1979, Clements served two terms as governor despite losing his first re-election bid. The oilman ran Texas under the belief that state government should operate like a big business.
"He came from the business community and that was fairly unusual for governors and still is. So he's unique in that respect," said political analyst John Weekly.
The Republican Party now holds every statewide elected office.
"It's because of his contributions and his leadership, he gave other republicans the confidence to run for public office," said Senator John Cornyn.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
