Clint Ronald Roberts (January 30, 1935 – February 12, 2017) was an American rancher,

Marlboro man The Marlboro Man is a figure that was used in tobacco advertising campaigns for Marlboro cigarettes. In the United States, where the campaign originated, it was used from 1954 to 1999. The Marlboro Man was first conceived by Leo Burnett in 1954. ...

, and one term

U.S. representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

from South Dakota, serving from 1981 to 1983.

Early life and education

Roberts was born in

Presho, South Dakota Presho is a small city in Lyman County, South Dakota, Lyman County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 472 at the United States Census, 2020, 2020 census. History Presho was laid out in 1905, and named in honor of J. S. Presho, a cat ...

, and attended

Black Hills State College Black Hills State University (BHSU) is a public university in Spearfish, South Dakota. Close to 4,000 students attend classes at its campus in Spearfish, at sites in Rapid City and Pierre, and through distance offerings. Enrollment comes from ...

from 1952 to 1953. Roberts was a rancher.

Political career

Roberts was a member of the

South Dakota Senate The Senate is the upper house of the South Dakota Legislature. It consists of 35 members, one representing each legislative district; it meets at the South Dakota State Capitol in Pierre. Composition :''92nd Legislature (2019)'' Officers Li ...

from 1972 to 1978 and served as Secretary of the South Dakota Department of Agriculture from 1979 to 1980. In 1980 he was elected to the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

as a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

. He succeeded

James Abdnor Ellis James Abdnor (February 13, 1923 – May 16, 2012) was an American politician who served as a member of the United States Senate from South Dakota. He was also the 15th Administrator of the Small Business Administration under presidents Rona ...

, who was elected to the

U.S. Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

that year. After South Dakota lost its 2nd District due to redistricting in 1982, Roberts ran against

Tom Daschle Thomas Andrew Daschle ( ; born December 9, 1947) is an American politician and lobbyist who served as a United States senator from South Dakota from 1987 to 2005. A member of the Democratic Party, he became U.S. Senate Minority Leader in 1995 an ...

, then the representative from the 1st District. He lost to Daschle in the race for the at-large seat. Roberts twice ran for

Governor of South Dakota The governor of South Dakota is the head of government of South Dakota. The governor is elected to a four-year term in even years when there is no presidential election. The current governor is Kristi Noem, a member of the Republican Party who t ...

, in

1978 Events January * January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213. * January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of Republican People's Party, CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd go ...

and

1986 The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles. **Spain and Portugal ente ...

, but failed to gain the Republican nomination on both occasions.

Movie career

Roberts auditioned for the cigarette commercial " The Marlboro Man", and was nicknamed "the Marlboro Man." He also was in several commercials and movies in the role of a

cowboy A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the '' vaquer ...

. He also did tourist promotions for South Dakota.

Later life and death

Roberts retired to a home in

Fort Pierre, South Dakota Fort Pierre is a city in Stanley County, South Dakota, United States. It is part of the Pierre, South Dakota micropolitan area and the county seat of Stanley County. The population was 2,115 at the 2020 census. The settlement of Fort Pierre de ...

. Roberts died in a hospital in

Pierre, South Dakota Pierre ( ; lkt, Čhúŋkaške, lit=fort) is the capital city of South Dakota, United States, and the seat of Hughes County. The population was 14,091 at the 2020 census, making it the second-least populous US state capital after Montpelier, ...

from

chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a type of progressive lung disease characterized by long-term respiratory symptoms and airflow limitation. The main symptoms include shortness of breath and a cough, which may or may not produce ...

(COPD) on February 12, 2017 at the age of 82. He was buried at Presho Cemetery in

References

External links

1935 births 2017 deaths Republican Party South Dakota state senators Black Hills State University alumni People from Presho, South Dakota Male actors from South Dakota Ranchers from South Dakota Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from South Dakota 20th-century American politicians 20th-century American male actors Respiratory disease deaths in South Dakota Deaths from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease People from Fort Pierre, South Dakota Members of the United States House of Representatives from South Dakota {{SouthDakota-politician-stub