Jeff Dwire
Encyclopedia
George Jefferson "Jeff" Dwire (June 6, 1923 – August, 1974) was an Arkansas
small businessman and the third husband of Virginia Clinton Kelley
, and a stepfather of former United States President Bill Clinton
and of Roger Clinton
.
. A veteran of World War II
, Dwire was injured during a parachute
jump and had later worked as a carpenter
. He had worked his way through college as a hairdresser. Other occupations and avocations included playing football
, teaching judo
, building homes, and selling oil-well equipment and securities.
he owned. They married on 3 January 1969 in Hope, Arkansas
; the ceremony was performed by the Rev. John Miles, and Bill Clinton served as the best man. He also played and sang at the reception and earlier watched the Chicago Democratic convention on television with Dwire. Family and friends of the bride discouraged the union because Dwire was an ex-convict, having served nine months in prison in 1962 for stock fraud.
, decisions involving which would become a major issue in his presidential campaign.
Since Dwire and his new wife married later in life, the prospects of having children together were not favorable. At that time, Clarice Minner, their young babysitter and housekeeper, became pregnant with her second child. On October 12, 1969, with Virginia Dwire at her side as the anesthesiologist, she gave birth to a little girl. She named her daughter "Jeffrey" Lynn Smith as a sign of adoration to the couple.
The Clinton family's housekeeper at the time Clarice Minner Hay, who was expecting a child, had so much admiration for the family that she named her daughter after Jeff. Her child subsequently became Jeffery Lynn Smith. Sadly enough Jeffery went missing three weeks before Christmas in 1985 while walking home from school in Hot Springs, Arkansas. She was 15 years old.http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http://www.geocities.com/murray222%40prodigy.net/Lynnspage.html&date=2009-10-26+02:22:02http://youtube.com/watch?v=I4Ib1qYusxIhttp://arkansasmatters.com/media_player.php?media_id=62061#
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
small businessman and the third husband of Virginia Clinton Kelley
Virginia Clinton Kelley
Virginia Clinton Kelley was the mother of former United States President Bill Clinton.She was born Virginia Dell Cassidy, the daughter of James Eldridge Cassidy , the town iceman , and Edith Cassidy , a nurse anesthetist...
, and a stepfather of former United States President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
and of Roger Clinton
Roger Clinton, Jr.
Roger Cassidy Clinton is an American actor and musician and the half-brother of former President Bill Clinton.Roger Clinton was born in Hot Springs, Arkansas , the son of Virginia Clinton Kelley and Roger M...
.
Early life
He was born in Bodcaw, ArkansasBodcaw, Arkansas
Bodcaw is a town in Nevada County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 154 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Hope Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Bodcaw is located at ....
. A veteran of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Dwire was injured during a parachute
Parachute
A parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag, or in the case of ram-air parachutes, aerodynamic lift. Parachutes are usually made out of light, strong cloth, originally silk, now most commonly nylon...
jump and had later worked as a carpenter
Carpenter
A carpenter is a skilled craftsperson who works with timber to construct, install and maintain buildings, furniture, and other objects. The work, known as carpentry, may involve manual labor and work outdoors....
. He had worked his way through college as a hairdresser. Other occupations and avocations included playing football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
, teaching judo
Judo
is a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...
, building homes, and selling oil-well equipment and securities.
Marriage
Dwire, who had three daughters from a previous marriage, met Kelley when she patronized the beauty salonBeauty salon
A beauty salon or beauty parlor is an establishment dealing with cosmetic treatments for men and women...
he owned. They married on 3 January 1969 in Hope, Arkansas
Hope, Arkansas
Hope is a small city in Hempstead County, Arkansas, United States. According to 2008 United States Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city was 10,378...
; the ceremony was performed by the Rev. John Miles, and Bill Clinton served as the best man. He also played and sang at the reception and earlier watched the Chicago Democratic convention on television with Dwire. Family and friends of the bride discouraged the union because Dwire was an ex-convict, having served nine months in prison in 1962 for stock fraud.
Dwire and the Clinton Family
Hillary Clinton, then Hillary Rodham, described Dwire as a "supportive ally" in her attempts to forge a relationship with Bill Clinton's mother while Rodham was dating the future president. He also counseled Clinton concerning the draftConscription
Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...
, decisions involving which would become a major issue in his presidential campaign.
Since Dwire and his new wife married later in life, the prospects of having children together were not favorable. At that time, Clarice Minner, their young babysitter and housekeeper, became pregnant with her second child. On October 12, 1969, with Virginia Dwire at her side as the anesthesiologist, she gave birth to a little girl. She named her daughter "Jeffrey" Lynn Smith as a sign of adoration to the couple.
Legacy
A 1967 Ford Mustang that he bought played a role in the 1992 presidential campaign and was a favorite nostalgia item of Bill Clinton. It is currently on display at the Museum of Automobiles in Arkansas.The Clinton family's housekeeper at the time Clarice Minner Hay, who was expecting a child, had so much admiration for the family that she named her daughter after Jeff. Her child subsequently became Jeffery Lynn Smith. Sadly enough Jeffery went missing three weeks before Christmas in 1985 while walking home from school in Hot Springs, Arkansas. She was 15 years old.http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http://www.geocities.com/murray222%40prodigy.net/Lynnspage.html&date=2009-10-26+02:22:02http://youtube.com/watch?v=I4Ib1qYusxIhttp://arkansasmatters.com/media_player.php?media_id=62061#
Further reading
- Clinton, Bill. My Life, Knopf (June 22, 2004). ISBN 0-375-41457-6
- Kelley, Virginia. Leading with My Heart (with James Morgan), Pocket, ISBN 0671522957, ISBN 978-0671522957