{{Short description|American politician (1929–2021)}} {{hatnote group| {{for|the computer scientist|William Clinger (computer scientist)}} {{distinguish|William Klinger}} }} {{use mdy dates|date=March 2021}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Bill Clinger | image = BillClinger.jpg | office = Chair of the House Oversight Committee | term_start = January 3, 1995 | term_end = January 3, 1997 | predecessor = John Conyers | successor = Dan Burton | state1 = Pennsylvania | term_start1 = January 3, 1979 | term_end1 = January 3, 1997 | predecessor1 = Joseph Ammerman | successor1 = John Peterson | constituency1 = {{ushr|PA|23|C}} (1979–1993)<br>{{ushr|PA|5|C}} (1993–1997) | birth_name = William Floyd Clinger Jr. | birth_date = {{birth date|1929|4|4}} | birth_place = Warren, Pennsylvania, U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|2021|5|28|1929|4|4}} | death_place = Naples, Florida, U.S. | party = Republican | spouse = {{marriage|Julia Whitla|August 3, 1952|November 22, 2016|end=died}} | education = Johns Hopkins University (BA)<br>University of Virginia (LLB) | branch = {{flag|United States Navy}} | service_years = 1951–1955 }} '''William Floyd Clinger Jr.''' (April 4, 1929 – May 28, 2021) was an American attorney and Republican politician who represented northwest and north-central Pennsylvania in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1979 to 1997.
==Early life and education== Clinger was born in Warren, Pennsylvania, the son of Lella May (Hunter) and William F. Clinger.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0HqhGvQF4CQC&q=William+Floyd+Clinger+1929&pg=PA233|title = Pennsylvania Biographical Dictionary|isbn = 9780403099504|last1 = Onofrio|first1 = Jan|date = January 1999}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-NYQAQAAMAAJ&q=Lella+May+Clinger+(Hunter|title = Lineage Book|year = 1931}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=f1Z6TB7LYFwC&q=William+Floyd+Clinger+Acomb|title=History of Northwestern Pennsylvania: Comprising the Counties of Erie, Crawford, Mercer, Venango, Warren, Forest, Clarion, McKean, Elk, Jefferson, Cameron and Clearfield|last1=Riesenman|first1=Joseph|year=1943}}</ref> He attended the public schools there and graduated from The Hill School in 1947.<ref name="Congress">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=74brGsoymBoC&q=senior+fellow+at+the+Johns+Hopkins+University+Center+for+the+Study+of+American+Government|title=Congressional Record, V. 151, PT. 17, October 7 to 26, 2005|date=2010|publisher=United States Government Printing Office|isbn=9780160848254|location=Washington, D.C.|page=23013|access-date=October 11, 2016}}</ref> He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Johns Hopkins University in 1951 and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Virginia in 1965.
== Career == Clinger served as an officer in the United States Navy from 1951 to 1955. He was a delegate to the Pennsylvania state constitutional convention, 1967 to 1968, and the Republican National Convention in 1972.<ref name="CHQ">{{cite news|last1=Trefts|first1=Deborah|title=William Clinger, Jr. Discusses Political Polarity for Chautauqua Women's Club|url=http://chqdaily.com/2016/08/william-clinger-jr-discusses-political-polarity-for-chautauqua-womens-club/|access-date=May 19, 2017|work=The Chautauquan Daily|date=August 2, 2016}}</ref> Clinger was associated with the New Process Company of Warren, Pennsylvania from 1955 to 1962, was admitted to the Pennsylvania bar in 1965, and was a lawyer in private practice.<ref>{{cite web|title=CLINGER, William Floyd, Jr., (1929 - )|url=http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=C000523|website=Biographical Directory of the United States Congress}}</ref>
===U.S. House of Representatives=== Defeating incumbent Representative Joseph S. Ammerman, Clinger was elected as a Republican to the 96th and to the eight succeeding Congresses (January 3, 1979 – January 3, 1997). While in the House of Representatives, he was chairman of the United States House Committee on Government Reform and Oversight<ref name="JHU">{{cite web|title=William Clinger, Adjunct Faculty|url=http://advanced.jhu.edu/about-us/faculty/william-clinger/|website=Johns Hopkins University|access-date=October 11, 2016|archive-date=October 11, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161011230552/http://advanced.jhu.edu/about-us/faculty/william-clinger/|url-status=dead}}</ref> in the 104th Congress, which was quite active in investigating the Travelgate and Filegate matters.<ref name="CNN" /><ref name="Philly" /> In addition, he served as vice chairman of the United States House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and ranking member on the Subcommittee on Aviation.<ref name="Congress" /> Along with then-Senator William Cohen, Clinger co-authored the Information Technology Management Reform Act, also known as the Clinger-Cohen Act.<ref name="FedTech">{{cite news|last1=Wong|first1=Wylie|title=How the Clinger-Cohen Act Continues to Ripple Through Federal IT Today|url=http://www.fedtechmagazine.com/article/2016/02/how-clinger-cohen-act-continues-ripple-through-federal-it-today|access-date=December 1, 2016|work=FedTech|date=February 10, 2016}}</ref> He was not a candidate for re-election to the 105th Congress in 1996.
===Later life=== After his retirement from Congress, Clinger served as the chairman for the Chautauqua Institution's board of trustees.<ref name="Congress" /><ref name="CHQ" /> He was a senior fellow at Johns Hopkins University's Center for Advanced Governmental Studies <ref name="FedTech" /><ref name="JHU" /> and co-chairman of the board of directors for the Institute for Representative Government.<ref>{{cite web|title=William Floyd Clinger, Jr.|url=https://www.irgov.org/william-floyd-clinger-jr|website=Institute for Representative Government|access-date=May 23, 2017}}</ref> He was also a member of the ReFormers Caucus of Issue One.<ref>{{cite web|title=Reformers Caucus|url=https://www.issueone.org/reformers/|website=Issue One}}</ref>
In October 2016, Clinger was one of thirty Republican ex-lawmakers to sign a public letter condemning GOP presidential nominee (and future president) Donald Trump<ref name=Philly>{{cite news|last1=Fitzgerald|first1=Thomas|title=Former Pa. Rep. Who Investigated Clinton Scandals Opposes Trump|url=http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/big_tent/Former-Pa-Rep-who-investigated-Clinton-scandals-opposes-Trump.html|access-date=October 24, 2016|work=The Philadelphia Inquirer|date=October 6, 2016}}</ref> as "manifestly unqualified to be president."<ref name="CNN">{{cite news|author1=Bash, Dana|author2=Kopan, Tal|title=30 Former GOP Lawmakers Sign Anti-Trump Letter|url=http://us.cnn.com/2016/10/06/politics/republican-lawmakers-never-trump-letter/index.html|access-date=October 6, 2016|work=CNN|date=October 6, 2016}}</ref> Clinger died at the age of 92 on May 28, 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-05-30|title=Former Congressman William Clinger passes away; was instrumental in funding for Lock Haven flood protection system|url=https://therecord-online.com/site/archives/69963|access-date=2021-06-01|website=The Record Online|language=en-US}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist|2}}
==External links== * {{CongBio|C000523}} * {{C-SPAN|8708}}
{{s-start}} {{s-par|us-hs}} {{s-bef|before=Joseph Ammerman}} {{s-ttl|title=Member of the U.S. House of Representatives<br>from Pennsylvania's 23rd congressional district|years=1979–1993}} {{s-non|reason=Constituency abolished}} |- {{s-bef|before=Richard Schulze}} {{s-ttl|title=Member of the U.S. House of Representatives<br>from Pennsylvania's 5th congressional district|years=1993–1997}} {{s-aft|after=John Peterson}} |- {{s-bef|before=Frank Horton}} {{s-ttl|title=Ranking Member of the House Oversight Committee|years=1993–1995}} {{s-aft|after=Cardiss Collins}} |- {{s-bef|before=John Conyers}} {{s-ttl|title=Chair of the House Oversight Committee|years=1995–1997}} {{s-aft|after=Dan Burton}} {{s-end}}
{{US House Oversight and Government Reform chairs}} {{USCongRep-start |congresses=96th–104th United States Congresses |state=Pennsylvania}} {{USCongRep/PA/96}} {{USCongRep/PA/97}} {{USCongRep/PA/98}} {{USCongRep/PA/99}} {{USCongRep/PA/100}} {{USCongRep/PA/101}} {{USCongRep/PA/102}} {{USCongRep/PA/103}} {{USCongRep/PA/104}} {{USCongRep-end}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Clinger, William}} Category:1929 births Category:2021 deaths Category:20th-century United States representatives Category:Johns Hopkins University alumni Category:Military personnel from Pennsylvania Category:Pennsylvania lawyers Category:People from Warren, Pennsylvania Category:Republican Party United States representatives from Pennsylvania Category:The Hill School alumni Category:United States Navy officers Category:Whitewater controversy