Oral history interview with William J. (Bill) Clinton, June 15, 1974
Subtitle: interview A-027, Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007)
Contributors: De Vries, Walter, interviewer; Bass, Jack, interviewer; Southern Oral History Program; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Documenting the American South (Project); University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library
Edition: Electronic ed.
Publisher: University Library, UNC-Chapel Hill
Published: 2006
Place of publication: [Chapel Hill, N.C.]
Language: eng
Subjects: Interviews; Politicians; Politics and government
Other titles: Interview A-027, Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007); Interview with William J. (Bill) Clinton, June 15, 1974; Oral histories of the American South.
Description: This interview took place during Bill Clinton's unsuccessful 1974 bid for a seat representing Arkansas in the US House of Representatives. Two years later, he ran uncontested to become the state Attorney General, and in 1978 he won the governorship. Clinton shows his devotion to the intricacies of political maneuvering, his sense of the role of personality in politics, and his fondness for words. He seems aware that his ability to personally connect with Arkansas voters will be important as he vies for the seat, but seems uncomfortable with the idea that he will rely more on charm than on issues. He hopes that his stands on various issues will give Arkansas voters a clear picture of him as a person. The interview is packed with many specific details about Arkansas politics.
Notes: Title from menu page (viewed on October 29, 2007).

Interview participants: William J. (Bill) Clinton, interviewee; Jack Bass, interviewer; Walter DeVries, interviewer.

Duration: 01:02:17.

This electronic edition is part of the UNC-CH digital library, Documenting the American South.  It is a part of the collection Oral histories of the American South.

Text encoded by Mike Millner.  Sound recordings digitized by Aaron Smithers.

Text (HTML and XML/TEI source file) and audio (MP3); 2 files: ca. 128.9 kilobytes, 114.1 megabytes.

Original version: Southern Oral History Program Collection, (#4007), Series A, Southern politics, interview A-027, Manuscripts Department, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Transcribed by Linda Killen. Original transcript: 33 p.

Funding from the Institute for Museum and Library Services supported the electronic publication of this interview.

Mode of access: World Wide Web.

System requirements:  Web browser with Javascript enabled and multimedia player.