Bill W. Clayton

Bill W. Clayton
Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives
In office
January 14, 1975  January 11, 1983
Preceded byPrice Daniel Jr.
Succeeded byGib Lewis
Member of the
Texas House of Representatives
In office
January 8, 1963  January 11, 1983
Preceded byMax Carriker (91st district)
Succeeded byBob Valles (74th district)
Constituency91st district (1963–1967)
78th district (1967–1969)
72nd district (1969–1973)
74th district (1973–1983)
Personal details
Born(1928-09-11)September 11, 1928
Olney, Texas, U.S.
DiedJanuary 6, 2007(2007-01-06) (aged 78)
Lubbock, Texas, U.S.
Resting placeSpringlake Cemetery
Political partyRepublican (after 1985)
Democratic (before 1985)
Spouse
Delma Dennis
(m. 1950)
Children2
Alma materTexas A&M University
University of Texas at Austin
OccupationFarmer, politician, businessman, lobbyist

Bill Wayne Clayton (September 11, 1928 – January 6, 2007) was an American politician who served as a state legislator for twenty years and was the speaker of the Texas House of Representatives from 1975 to 1983, a tenure twice as long as that of any other presiding officer of the house elected before him. A Conservative Democrat from a rural area of the Texas South Plains, Clayton attained the speakership by successfully forging a broad-based House coalition.