Clayton Williams
Encyclopedia
Clayton Wheat "Claytie" Williams, Jr. (born October 8, 1931), a businessman from Midland, Texas
, was the unsuccessful Republican
gubernatorial nominee in 1990 against the Democratic
State Treasurer
Ann Richards
even though Williams initially led in opinion polls
by twenty points.
and natural gas
man, Williams was the son of Clayton W. Williams, Sr.
, a Pecos
county commissioner, and the former Chicora Lee Graham, known as "Chic" Williams.
Clayton, Jr., also known as "Claytie", was born in Alpine
in the Big Bend
country of far West Texas
, but reared in his father's native Fort Stockton
, the seat of geographically large Pecos County. He graduated from Texas A&M University
in College Station
in 1954 with a degree in animal husbandry
and then, as had his father during World War I
, served in the U.S. Army
.
In 1957, Williams followed in the business of his father, beginning in the oil field
s of West Texas
as a lease broker. Many of his companies were petroleum-related with interests in the exploration and production of natural gas and transportation and extraction of natural gas and natural gas liquids. In 1993, he took Clayton Williams Energy, Inc. public.
Williams also diversified into the more traditional businesses of farming, ranching, real estate
, and banking. He also tried his hand at long distance telecommunications. For a time he operated a long distance company, ClayDesta, named for both himself and his wife, Modesta. Williams also taught for six years in the Texas A&M College of Business Administration.
As an administrator, Clayton served as the vice president and director of the Association of Former Students at Texas A&M in 1977. As a philanthropist
, he was a founding member of the Presidents Endowed Scholarship for Gifted Students at Texas A&M. He was also the founder and director of the Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute
, which is dedicated to the study of desert animals and plants of southwest Texas and Mexico. He also made several significant monetary donations to Texas A&M, including underwriting half of the cost for an alumni center, which bears his name.
as a Republican. He defeated a field of candidates for the nomination that included former U.S. Representative and outgoing Railroad Commissioner Kent Hance
of Lubbock
, Clements' former Secretary of State Jack Rains of Houston
and Dallas
lawyer Tom Luce.
Williams spent freely from his personal fortune, running a "Good Old Boy
" campaign initially appealing to conservatives. Prior to a series of gaffes, he was leading Richards (the race was dubbed "Claytie vs. The Lady") in the polls and was in striking distance of becoming only the second Republican governor of Texas since Reconstruction.
In one of his widely-publicized missteps, Williams refused to shake hands with Ann Richards in a public debate, an act seen as uncouth. Senator John Tower
had similarly refused to shake the hand of Democratic opponent Robert Krueger in a 1978 appearance in Houston but went on to win a fourth term by the narrowest of margins.
During the campaign, Williams publicly made a joke likening rape to bad weather, having quipped: "If it's inevitable, just relax and enjoy it". Also, during the campaign, allegations were made that as an undergraduate at Texas A&M, Williams had visited the Chicken Ranch
, a brothel
in La Grange
, and the Boy's Towns of Mexico. As a result of his reported comments, Williams was occasionally parodied, such as in the mock political ad, "Satan Williams," which appeared on Dallas/Fort Worth public television during the 1990 campaign season.
Despite these political snafus, Williams only narrowly lost the election to Ann Richards, who actually polled under 50 percent of the raw vote possibly because of the presence of a Libertarian
nominee. At his defeat on election night, Texas television stations showed the glib Williams telling his supporters in Austin
: "I've got some good news and some bad news. The bad news is that we lost; the good news is that it is not the end of the world." When the crowd urged him to try again in four years, he told his supporters, "I may be an Aggie, but I am not crazy."
In 2007, Mike Cochran, a former Associated Press
correspondent, released Claytie: The Roller-Coaster Life of a Texas Wildcatter, Williams' authorized biography
. The book chronicles Williams' brief political career and his long-term commitment to the oil and gas industry, cattle ranching, and the communications business.
presidential campaign. However, a fundraiser at Williams' home for June 16, 2008 was abruptly rescheduled and relocated after Williams' controversial 1990 comments about rape were rediscovered and mentioned to the McCain campaign by ABC News. The campaign condemned the remarks, saying that they were "incredibly offensive". The campaign said it would not return the money Williams had raised, as it was donated by other individuals.
Midland, Texas
Midland is a city in and the county seat of Midland County, Texas, United States, on the Southern Plains of the state's western area. A small portion of the city extends into Martin County. As of 2010, the population of Midland was 111,147. It is the principal city of the Midland, Texas...
, was the unsuccessful Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
gubernatorial nominee in 1990 against the Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
State Treasurer
Texas State Treasurer
Texas State Treasurer was a political office in the U.S. state of Texas, established in the Constitution of 1876. It was abolished in 1996.-History:...
Ann Richards
Ann Richards
Dorothy Ann Willis Richards was an American politician from Texas. She first came to national attention as the state treasurer of Texas, when she delivered the keynote address at the 1988 Democratic National Convention. Richards served as the 45th Governor of Texas from 1991 to 1995 and was...
even though Williams initially led in opinion polls
Opinion poll
An opinion poll, sometimes simply referred to as a poll is a survey of public opinion from a particular sample. Opinion polls are usually designed to represent the opinions of a population by conducting a series of questions and then extrapolating generalities in ratio or within confidence...
by twenty points.
Biographical information
An independent oilPetroleum
Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...
and natural gas
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
man, Williams was the son of Clayton W. Williams, Sr.
Clayton W. Williams, Sr.
Clayton Wheat Williams, Sr. , was an engineer, a geologist, an oilman, a World War I military officer, a rancher, a county commissioner and civic leader, an historian, and a philanthropist from Fort Stockton, Texas....
, a Pecos
Pecos County, Texas
Pecos County is a county located in Texas which is named for the Pecos River. It is one of the nine counties that comprise the Trans-Pecos region of West Texas. In 2000, its population was 16,809. The county seat is Fort Stockton....
county commissioner, and the former Chicora Lee Graham, known as "Chic" Williams.
Clayton, Jr., also known as "Claytie", was born in Alpine
Alpine, Texas
Alpine is a city in and the county seat of Brewster County, Texas, United States. The population was 5,786 people at the 2000 census, and had increased to 5,905 by 2010.-History:...
in the Big Bend
Big Bend
-United States:* Big Bend , region of Texas** Big Bend National Park, in Texas* Big Bend, California, census-designated place* Big Bend, Butte County, California, unincorporated community* Big Bend, Placer County, California, unincorporated community...
country of far West Texas
West Texas
West Texas is a vernacular term applied to a region in the southwestern quadrant of the United States that primarily encompasses the arid and semi-arid lands in the western portion of the state of Texas....
, but reared in his father's native Fort Stockton
Fort Stockton, Texas
Fort Stockton is a city in Pecos County, Texas, United States. The population was 7,846 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Pecos County.-Geography:Fort Stockton is located at ....
, the seat of geographically large Pecos County. He graduated from Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
in College Station
College Station, Texas
College Station is a city in Brazos County, Texas, situated in East Central Texas in the heart of the Brazos Valley. The city is located within the most populated region of Texas, near three of the 10 largest cities in the United States - Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio...
in 1954 with a degree in animal husbandry
Animal husbandry
Animal husbandry is the agricultural practice of breeding and raising livestock.- History :Animal husbandry has been practiced for thousands of years, since the first domestication of animals....
and then, as had his father during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, served in the U.S. Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
.
In 1957, Williams followed in the business of his father, beginning in the oil field
Oil field
An oil field is a region with an abundance of oil wells extracting petroleum from below ground. Because the oil reservoirs typically extend over a large area, possibly several hundred kilometres across, full exploitation entails multiple wells scattered across the area...
s of West Texas
West Texas
West Texas is a vernacular term applied to a region in the southwestern quadrant of the United States that primarily encompasses the arid and semi-arid lands in the western portion of the state of Texas....
as a lease broker. Many of his companies were petroleum-related with interests in the exploration and production of natural gas and transportation and extraction of natural gas and natural gas liquids. In 1993, he took Clayton Williams Energy, Inc. public.
Williams also diversified into the more traditional businesses of farming, ranching, real estate
Real estate
In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
, and banking. He also tried his hand at long distance telecommunications. For a time he operated a long distance company, ClayDesta, named for both himself and his wife, Modesta. Williams also taught for six years in the Texas A&M College of Business Administration.
As an administrator, Clayton served as the vice president and director of the Association of Former Students at Texas A&M in 1977. As a philanthropist
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
, he was a founding member of the Presidents Endowed Scholarship for Gifted Students at Texas A&M. He was also the founder and director of the Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute
Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute
The Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute or CDRI, incorporated in January 1974, is an independent non-profit, scientific and educational organization located on a tract in the foothills of the Davis Mountains...
, which is dedicated to the study of desert animals and plants of southwest Texas and Mexico. He also made several significant monetary donations to Texas A&M, including underwriting half of the cost for an alumni center, which bears his name.
1990 Texas gubernatorial race
Williams began his run for governor of TexasGovernor of Texas
The governor of Texas is the head of the executive branch of Texas's government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Texas Legislature, and to convene the legislature...
as a Republican. He defeated a field of candidates for the nomination that included former U.S. Representative and outgoing Railroad Commissioner Kent Hance
Kent Hance
Kent "The Hancellor" Ronald Hance is a lobbyist and lawyer who was a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from West Texas, having served from 1979 to 1985...
of Lubbock
Lubbock, Texas
Lubbock is a city in and the county seat of Lubbock County, Texas, United States. The city is located in the northwestern part of the state, a region known historically as the Llano Estacado, and the home of Texas Tech University and Lubbock Christian University...
, Clements' former Secretary of State Jack Rains of Houston
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
and Dallas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
lawyer Tom Luce.
Williams spent freely from his personal fortune, running a "Good Old Boy
Good ol' boy network
Good ol' boy network, or "Good old boys", describes a system of social networking/cronyism perceived to exist among communities and social strata. These networks are perceived to be located throughout the world...
" campaign initially appealing to conservatives. Prior to a series of gaffes, he was leading Richards (the race was dubbed "Claytie vs. The Lady") in the polls and was in striking distance of becoming only the second Republican governor of Texas since Reconstruction.
In one of his widely-publicized missteps, Williams refused to shake hands with Ann Richards in a public debate, an act seen as uncouth. Senator John Tower
John Tower
John Goodwin Tower was the first Republican United States senator from Texas since Reconstruction. He served from 1961 until his retirement in January 1985, after which time he was the chairman of the Reagan-appointed Tower Commission that investigated the Iran-Contra Affair. He was George H. W...
had similarly refused to shake the hand of Democratic opponent Robert Krueger in a 1978 appearance in Houston but went on to win a fourth term by the narrowest of margins.
During the campaign, Williams publicly made a joke likening rape to bad weather, having quipped: "If it's inevitable, just relax and enjoy it". Also, during the campaign, allegations were made that as an undergraduate at Texas A&M, Williams had visited the Chicken Ranch
Chicken Ranch (Texas)
The Chicken Ranch was as an illegal but tolerated brothel in the U.S. state of Texas that operated from 1905 until 1973. It was located in Fayette County about 2.5 miles east of downtown La Grange...
, a brothel
Brothel
Brothels are business establishments where patrons can engage in sexual activities with prostitutes. Brothels are known under a variety of names, including bordello, cathouse, knocking shop, whorehouse, strumpet house, sporting house, house of ill repute, house of prostitution, and bawdy house...
in La Grange
La Grange, Texas
La Grange is a city in Fayette County, Texas, near the Colorado River. The population was 4,478 at the 2000 census. The 2006 estimated population was 4,645. But a 2010 census estimated that the city had a population of 4,923...
, and the Boy's Towns of Mexico. As a result of his reported comments, Williams was occasionally parodied, such as in the mock political ad, "Satan Williams," which appeared on Dallas/Fort Worth public television during the 1990 campaign season.
Despite these political snafus, Williams only narrowly lost the election to Ann Richards, who actually polled under 50 percent of the raw vote possibly because of the presence of a Libertarian
Libertarian Party (United States)
The Libertarian Party is the third largest and fastest growing political party in the United States. The political platform of the Libertarian Party reflects its brand of libertarianism, favoring minimally regulated, laissez-faire markets, strong civil liberties, minimally regulated migration...
nominee. At his defeat on election night, Texas television stations showed the glib Williams telling his supporters in Austin
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
: "I've got some good news and some bad news. The bad news is that we lost; the good news is that it is not the end of the world." When the crowd urged him to try again in four years, he told his supporters, "I may be an Aggie, but I am not crazy."
In 2007, Mike Cochran, a former Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
correspondent, released Claytie: The Roller-Coaster Life of a Texas Wildcatter, Williams' authorized biography
Biography
A biography is a detailed description or account of someone's life. More than a list of basic facts , biography also portrays the subject's experience of those events...
. The book chronicles Williams' brief political career and his long-term commitment to the oil and gas industry, cattle ranching, and the communications business.
John McCain fund raising controversy
Clayton Williams raised over $300,000 for the 2008 John McCainJohn McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
presidential campaign. However, a fundraiser at Williams' home for June 16, 2008 was abruptly rescheduled and relocated after Williams' controversial 1990 comments about rape were rediscovered and mentioned to the McCain campaign by ABC News. The campaign condemned the remarks, saying that they were "incredibly offensive". The campaign said it would not return the money Williams had raised, as it was donated by other individuals.