Did You Know Former President Bill
Clinton
was Born in Arkansas?
William Jefferson Blythe III
was born in Hope, Arkansas on August 19, 1946.
Bill moved to Hot Springs, Arkansas in 1950 to live with his
mother and step-father. At the age of 14 he changed his last
name to Clinton, his step-father's name.
Throughout his schooling in Hot Springs, Clinton
was known as an involved student leader and musician. He almost
choose to pursue music as a career but it was after meeting
President John Kennedy that Clinton discovered his passion for
public service.
Political Career:
50th Arkansas Attorney General
After he graduated from Law School at Yale University, Bill
returned to Arkansas to teach at the University of Arkansas. He
was then elected as Arkansas Attorney General in 1976 and was in
office between January 3, 1977 and January 9, 1979.
40th and 42nd Governor of Arkansas
Clinton was elected in 1978 as the 40th Governor of Arkansas and
is known for his work on educational reform and Arkansas roads.
He was re-elected in 1982 after being defeated in the previous
election by Frank D. White. Clinton held this position until 1992
and stressed the importance of economic growth and job
creation.
42nd President of the United States
Clinton was inaugurated as the 42nd president of the United
States on January 20, 1993 and held this position until January
20, 2001. He was also the first Democrat to be re-elected as
president and was elected so in 1996. During his presidency
Clinton signed the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993. He
launched the first White House website and signed the North
American Free Trade Agreement, the Brady Bill and the Omnibus
Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993 into law.
- Clinton is married to Hillary Rodham Clinton, the current
United States Secretary of State
- During Clinton's period of presidency, the US benefited from
more economic well being and peace then any
other time
- He won the 2000 Charlemagne Prize because of
his work toward European integration
- After leaving office, Clinton had an approval rating
of 66% which is the highest of any president since the
end of World War II
- Since his presidency, Clinton has created the "William J. Clinton Foundation" which exists to educate people about international issues including the prevention of HIV/AIDS
- Clinton was the youngest governor in the
USA (32 years old) when he was elected
Governor of Arkansas in 1978
Want to study where Clinton was born? Apply to Arkansas Tech today!
Reference: Bill Clinton
