History's Hook 9-09-23 RM

Episode 39: The Clements of Tennessee: A Story of Politics

Mr. Bob Clement was raised, in large part, at the governor’s residence, as he was the son of three-term Tennessee Governor Frank Clement. As such, he was at the center of Tennessee history-in-the-making, in the 1950’s and 60’s.Mr. Clement learned the value of public service at an early age. After graduating from the University of Tennessee as an ROTC student and the University of Memphis, Clement was commissioned a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army. Mr. Clement would eventually serve 29 years in the Tennessee National Guard, retiring as a colonel.Mr. Clement began his career in public service when he was only twenty-nine years old, becoming the youngest state-wide office holder in the history of Tennessee. Later, he was appointed as a director of the Tennessee Valley Authority by President Jimmy Carter. He was later named the president of Cumberland University to great success for that institution.Elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1987, where he spent the next fifteen year, Mr. Clement was known as a bipartisan member, often voting with the opposition on issues he championed. He served on the House Transportation, Foreign Affairs, Budget, and Veterans’ Affairs Committees. He also founded and co-chaired the Education Caucus.After leaving Congress, our guest formed Clement & Associates, a public affairs consulting firm in Nashville, Tennessee. Clement, is also the author of the acclaimed political memoir, Presidents, Kings and Convicts: My Journey from the Tennessee Governor’s Residence to the Halls of Congress published by Archway Publishing in 2016. He is a sought after public speaker.In this two-part series, Mr. Clement talks to hosts Tom Price and Dr. Barry Gidcomb about his life in politics.