Rita Crocker Clements
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Rita Crocker Clements (October 30, 1931 – January 6, 2018) was an American Republican Party organizer, an activist in historic preservation, and a First Lady of the
U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...
of
Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
.


Early life

She was born in Newton,
Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to th ...
, on October 30, 1931, to rancher and political activist Mason Crocker and his wife Florabel. The family relocated to
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,
Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
, when she was 10 years old. She attended
The Hockaday School The Hockaday School is an independent, secular, college preparatory day school for girls located in Dallas, Texas, United States. The boarding school was for girls in grades 8–12 and the day school is from pre-kindergarten to grade 12. The ...
in Texas, graduating in 1949. She then studied at Wellesley College,
Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...
, before completing her undergraduate degree in 1953 at the
University of Texas at Austin The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,07 ...
. She graduated with honors in Spanish and also minored in history and government. Her 1952 marriage to
Richard Bass Richard Daniel "Dick" Bass (December 21, 1929 – July 26, 2015) was an American businessman, rancher and mountaineer. He was the owner of Snowbird Ski Resort in Utah and the first man to climb the "Seven Summits", the tallest mountain on each con ...
produced four children. They divorced in 1974, and in 1975 she married
Bill Clements William Perry Clements Jr. (April 13, 1917 – May 29, 2011) was an American businessman and Republican Party politician who served two non-consecutive terms as the governor of Texas between 1979 and 1991. His terms bookended the sole t ...
. Beginning her political career as a volunteer for
Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...
's 1952 campaign for President of the United States, by 1958, she had risen to Republican Party precinct chairman in
Dallas County Dallas County may refer to: Places in the USA: * Dallas County, Alabama, founded in 1818, the first county in the United States by that name * Dallas County, Arkansas * Dallas County, Iowa * Dallas County, Missouri * Dallas County, Texas, the nin ...
. Her continued involvement in party politics helped elect
John Tower John Goodwin Tower (September 29, 1925 – April 5, 1991) was an American politician, serving as a Republican United States Senator from Texas from 1961 to 1985. He was the first Republican Senator elected from Texas since Reconstruction. Tower ...
to the
United States 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 pow ...
in 1961. She served as state co-chair of the 1964 committee for the Barry Goldwater presidential campaign. Clements was appointed to the
Republican National Committee The Republican National Committee (RNC) is a U.S. Political action committee, political committee that assists the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party of the United States. It is responsible for developing and promoting the Republi ...
in 1973. From 1972 to 1975 she was a member of the National Advisory Council for Economic Opportunity. Serving as First Lady of Texas during the two non-consecutive terms (1979–1983 and 1987–1991) of her husband Governor Bill Clements, she was a key strategist in each of her husband's election campaigns. Her leadership of the Texas Main Street program, part of the Texas Historic Commission, put her in the forefront of preserving the state's history.'' ''The program aimed to maintain local town centers through the preservation of landmarks and the revival of sustaining businesses. During 1979–1982, she also spearheaded the renovation of the
Texas Governor's Mansion The Texas Governor's Mansion is a historic home for the governor of Texas in downtown Austin, Texas. Designed by prominent architect Abner Cook, it was built in 1854 and has been the home of every governor since 1856. Governor Greg Abbott and ...
. She and the Governor founded the non-profit organization Friends of the Governor's Mansion to raise private money for the project, as well as to fund future maintenance of the mansion. The non-profit organization initially raised $3 million. The state legislature appropriated an additional $1 million for the restoration. During her husband's second term in office, Clements contributed to the campaign to have the 1888 Texas Capitol restored.


Later life

In her post-First Lady of Texas life, she continued to be active in business and civic organizations on heritage preservation, education, volunteerism and advocacy of women's issues. She served on the boards of La Quinta Motor Inns, Team Bank, Bank One, Texas,
Dr Pepper Dr Pepper is a carbonated soft drink. It was created in the 1880s by pharmacist Charles Alderton in Waco, Texas, and first served around 1885. Dr Pepper was first nationally marketed in the United States in 1904. It is now also sold in Euro ...
, the Dallas Historical Society and the educational foundation The O'Donnell Foundation of Dallas, which she had co-founded in 1957. In 1996, she was appointed to the University of Texas Board of Regents by Governor
George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
, and re-appointed by Governor Rick Perry, serving until November 2007.


Death

Clements died in Dallas on January 6, 2018, from complications of Alzheimer's disease at the age of 86. On news of her death, President
George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
and First Lady Laura Bush released a statement of condolence, acknowledging Clements' strength and service to the state of Texas.


Honors and awards

Clements received the Miss Ima Hogg Special Award from the Winedale Society and the Ruth B. Lester Award from the Texas Historical Commission for her work on heritage preservation. In 1991, she was named a Distinguished Alumna of the University of Texas. In 1996, Clements was elected to the
Texas Women's Hall of Fame The Texas Women's Hall of Fame was established in 1984 by the Governor's Commission on Women. The honorees are selected biennially from submissions from the public. The honorees must be either native Texans, or a resident of Texas at the time of th ...
. In 2007, the Texas State History Museum Foundation bestowed former Governor and Rita Clements with the History-Making Texan Award. In 2009 the couple were recipients of the Santa Rita Award for their contributions to the University of Texas System.


References


External links

* Texas First Ladies on KTBC-TV Austi

{{DEFAULTSORT:Clements, Rita Crocker 1931 births 2018 deaths Deaths from Alzheimer's disease First Ladies and Gentlemen of Texas History of women in Texas Hockaday School alumni Neurological disease deaths in Texas People from Brady, Texas People from Newton, Kansas Texas Republicans Wellesley College alumni University of Texas at Austin College of Liberal Arts alumni