William P. Clark, Jr.
William Patrick Clark ( born October 23, 1931 in Oxnard, California, † August 10 2013 in Shandon, California ) was an American lawyer and politician ( Republican), who belonged to the cabinet of U.S. President Ronald Reagan as Secretary.
Life
Early years and legal career
After attending school William Clark studied at Stanford University, before he completed his legal education at Loyola Law School. In addition, he served in the Counter Intelligence Corps, a counterintelligence unit of the U.S. Army.
As a result, Clark embarked on a legal career. From 1969 to 1971 he served as judge at the Supreme Court of Appeal ( Superior Court ) in California, before he was appointed to the Supreme Court of California, where he served from 1973 to 1981. During this time he also worked already as a consultant to Ronald Reagan, of California ruled as Governor 1967-1975.
Rise in Washington
After the election of Ronald Reagan in the 1980 presidential election he was appointed by the latter to the Deputy Foreign Minister and thus to the Deputy Secretary of State Alexander Haig. Clark exercised this office of 25 February 1981 to 9 February 1982. He then moved to the post of National Security Adviser, which he held for one year. Eventually, he became member of the Cabinet as Minister of the Interior, where he remained on 18 November 1983 to 7 February 1985. At the beginning of the second term of President Reagan took over the previous Energy Minister Donald P. Hodel its place.
William Clark was, however, continued to work for the government. Thus, President Reagan appointed him chairman of a working group that dealt with the nuclear weapons program of the United States. He was also special envoy of the President to negotiate with the Indian tribes of the Navajo and Hopi, as well as a member of several government commissions. He was also a trustee of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. Moreover, he was the CEO of his own company, the Clark Company, and senior partner in the law firm Clark, Cali and Negranti.