Bill Clinton's Life

Bill Clinton was born William Jefferson Blythe III on August 19, 1946, in the small town of Hope, Arkansas. He was named after his father, William Jefferson Blythe II, who had been killed in a car accident just three months before his son's birth. Needing a way to support herself and her new child, Bill Clinton's mother, Virginia Cassidy Blythe, moved to New Orleans, Louisiana, to study nursing. Bill Clinton stayed with his mother's parents in Hope. There his grandparents, Eldrigde and Edith Cassidy, taught him strong values and beliefs such as "equality among all and discrimination to none". This was a lesson Bill never forgot. His mother returned from New Orleans with a nursing degree in 1950, when her son was four year old. Later that same year, she married an automobile salesman named Roger Clinton. When Bill was seven years old, the family moved to Hot Springs, Arkansas for it offered a better employment opportunities. Roger received a higher paying job as a service manager for his brother's car dealer-ship and Virginia discovered a job as a nurse anesthetist. In 1956, Bill Clinton's half-brother, Roger Clinton Jr., was born. When his brother was old enough to enter school, young Bill had his last name legally altered from Blythe to Clinton.

Clinton's life continued and during his High school years he was awestruck by two successful leaders, John F. Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He was inspired by them so much that thrived on fulfilling their dreams. He raised money and organized charity events, but most of all he learned how to work with people and the concept of being a good citizen. In his spare time, he endulged himself in literature and played a saxophone. He loved music, and each summer he would attend a band camp in the Ozark Mountains. His hard work paid off when he became top saxophone player at his school and won first chair in state band.

Bill Clinton recognized that although college would be expensive, it would give him the education he needed to accomplish his goals. His hard work in school, combined with his music ability, earned him many academic and music scholarships. With the aid of those scholarships and loans from the government, he was able to attend Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. He chose George town because it had an excellent foreign service program and it was located in the nations capital.

He earned is Bachelor of Science Degree in International Affairs and worked an intern in the office of Arkansas Senator J. William Fulbright. He then continued college in Oxford University in England and Yale University. At Yale, he maintained his interest in government by campaigning for a Senator candidate in Connecticut. He also met Hillary Rodham, whom he would later marry on October 11, 1975.

He graduated and returned to Arkansas to teach law at the University of Arkansas. In 1974, he ran for congress and lost. In 1976, Bill was elected Attorney General of Arkansas and two years later, at the age of 32, he became the youngest governor in the U.S.

On February 27, 1980, the Clinton's daughter, Chelsea Victoria, was born. Also that year he lost his second term race but he regained it in 1982. He then proceeded to enhance education for all in the state and as chairman of the National Governors' Association in 1986 to '87 he reformed welfare. Not long after, Bill was nominated as the Democratic presidential candidate and he chose Al Gore from Tennessee as his running mate. Campaigning on the slogan "putting people first" and concepts such as preserving the American Dream, restoring the hopes of the middle class, and reclaiming the future for the nation's children lead him to the 42nd Presidency in the United States over George Bush. Running on the slogan "a bridge to the future" in 1996, Bill hopes to maintain this glorifying chair. Throughout his life, he has worked to make a difference in the lives of others. To him, Hope means more than just a small town in Arkansas; it means working to ensure that each American has the opportunity to fulfill his or her dream.