Percival Wood Clement (July 7, 1846January 9, 1927) was an American politician who served as the 57th

governor of Vermont The governor of Vermont is the head of government of Vermont. The officeholder is elected in even-numbered years by direct voting for a term of 2 years. Vermont and bordering New Hampshire are the only states to hold gubernatorial elections every ...

from 1919 to 1921.

Biography

Clement was born on July 7, 1846, in

Rutland, Vermont Rutland, Vermont may refer to: *Rutland (city), Vermont * Rutland (town), Vermont *Rutland County, Vermont *West Rutland, Vermont West Rutland is a town in Rutland County, Vermont, United States. The population was 2,214 at the 2020 census. The t ...

, the son of Charles and Elizabeth (Wood) Clement. He was educated at

Rutland High School Rutland High School is a senior high school located in Rutland, Vermont, and attended by students in grades 9-12. It has been located on Stratton Road since 1994. Prior to 1994 Rutland High School was located on Library Avenue (current Rutland Int ...

and St. Paul's School in

Concord, New Hampshire Concord () is the capital city of the U.S. state of New Hampshire and the seat of Merrimack County. As of the 2020 census the population was 43,976, making it the third largest city in New Hampshire behind Manchester and Nashua. The village of ...

. Clement graduated from

Trinity College Trinity College may refer to: Australia * Trinity Anglican College, an Anglican coeducational primary and secondary school in , New South Wales * Trinity Catholic College, Auburn, a coeducational school in the inner-western suburbs of Sydney, New ...

Hartford, Connecticut Hartford is the capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It was the seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960. It is the core city in the Greater Hartford metropolitan area. Census estimates since the ...

. He married Maria H. Goodwin in 1868 and they had nine children.

Career

Clement worked as a clerk in the business office of Clement and Sons Marble, the family business and a prominent company in

Rutland County Rutland County is a county located in the U.S. state of Vermont. As of the 2020 census, the population was 60,572, making it the second-most populous county in Vermont. Its county seat and most populous municipality is the city of Rutland. H ...

. He became a partner in 1871. He was also president of the Clement National Bank and the Rutland Board of Trade, and an owner of numerous railroad interests. 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 ...

, Clement served in the

Vermont House of Representatives The Vermont House of Representatives is the lower house of the Vermont General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Vermont. The House comprises 150 members, with each member representing around 4,100 citizens. Representatives ar ...

from 1892 to 1894, and helped secure the charter for Rutland City to incorporate separately from Rutland Town. He served as

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...

of Rutland City from 1897 to 1898, and was succeeded by

William Y. W. Ripley William Young Warren Ripley (December 31, 1832 – December 16, 1905) was a Union Army officer from Vermont in the American Civil War. He received the Medal of Honor for heroism at the Battle of Malvern Hill. Early life William Y. W. Ripley wa ...

. Clement served in the

Vermont Senate The Vermont Senate is the upper house of the Vermont General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Vermont. The senate consists of 30 members. Senate districting divides the 30 members into three single-member districts, six two-m ...

from 1900 to 1902, and ran unsuccessfully for governor in 1902 and 1906, in the latter year as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

. From 1911 to 1912 Clement served again as Rutland's Mayor. In 1912 he was chairman of the New England Railroad Conference Commission. The following year he served on the Vermont Educational Commission, and in 1917 he was a member of the executive committee of the Vermont Committee of Public Safety.

Elected Elected may refer to: * "Elected" (song), by Alice Cooper, 1973 * ''Elected'' (EP), by Ayreon, 2008 *The Elected, an American indie rock band See also *Election An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a populatio ...

in 1918, Clement served as Governor of Vermont from January 9, 1919 to January 6, 1921. During his term, the state legislature appropriated one million dollars to pay military draftees. He opposed women's suffrage and

Prohibition Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcoholic ...

, but Vermont ratified the Prohibition Amendment to the

U.S. Constitution The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, in 1789. Originally comprising seven articles, it delineates the natio ...

. Clement also pardoned his predecessor as governor, Horace F. Graham, who had been convicted of embezzlement while serving as

State Auditor State auditors (also known as state comptrollers, state controllers, state examiners, or inspectors general) are fiscal officers lodged in the executive or legislative branches of U.S. state governments who serve as external auditors, financial ...

. When his term of office ended, he returned to his business affairs.

Death

Clement died in Rutland on January 9, 1927, and is interred at Rutland's Evergreen Cemetery.

References

External links

The Political Graveyard
*
the Vermont a state magazine
{{DEFAULTSORT:Clement, Percival W. 1846 births 1927 deaths Republican Party governors of Vermont Republican Party Vermont state senators Republican Party members of the Vermont House of Representatives People from Rutland (town), Vermont Mayors of places in Vermont Burials at Evergreen Cemetery (Rutland, Vermont)