[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 8]
[Senate]
[Pages 11147-11148]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         REMEMBERING BILL CLARK

 Mr. PRYOR. Mr. President, today I honor the life of a great 
Arkansan, William E. ``Bill'' Clark, who passed on May 15, 2007. Bill 
was respected as a great philanthropist, sportsman, business leader and 
citizen of Arkansas. He was seen as an unparalleled advocate for the 
needs and welfare of his State and its citizens. He dedicated his life 
to serving his community and supporting individual lives in the public 
and private sector.
  Bill graduated from Little Rock Central High School in 1961 and the 
University of Arkansas at Fayetteville in 1965 with a bachelor's degree 
in electrical engineering. Thereafter, he joined his brothers at C&C 
Electric Construction Company in Little Rock, working there until 1981 
when he acquired Bragg's Electric Construction Company. In 1987, Bill 
partnered with Dillard's Incorporated and founded CDI Contractors, 
which grew to be one of the largest construction firms in the South. 
High-profile projects completed by CDI under Bill's leadership include 
the Clinton Presidential Library in Little Rock, the headquarters for 
Heifer International in Little Rock and Immanuel Baptist Church in West 
Little Rock, of which Bill was a devout attendee for over 27 years. 
Bill's impact on the business community of Arkansas is evident by the 
numerous business and professional awards he received, including 
Arkansas Business Executive of the Year, Rotary Club of Little Rock's 
Business and Professional Leader of the Year Award, Paul Harris Fellow 
as given by Fifty for the Future, election to the Arkansas Construction 
Hall of Fame, and admission to the University of Arkansas Engineering 
Hall of Fame and the Arkansas Academy of Electrical Engineering.
  Respected and admired throughout Arkansas for over three decades, 
Bill took on countless worthwhile projects with optimism and 
enthusiasm; he was an inspiration to many. The positions he held 
relating to public service are evidence of his commitment to his 
community. His awards reflect his professional successes as well as his 
avid public service. These awards included the Arkansas Arts Center's 
Winthrop Rockefeller Memorial Award, the Boys and Girls Club of America 
National Service to the Youth Award, the Edwin N. Hanlon Memorial Award 
for Contribution to the Arts, and the Arkansas Children's Award from 
the Arkansas Sheriff's Youth Ranches.
  Bill was a past president of the board for the University of Arkansas 
board of trustees, the Arkansas Arts Center, the Little Rock Regional 
Chamber of Commerce and the Country Club of Little Rock. Bill served as 
a board member of the Little Rock Boys and Girls Club, the Arkansas 
Arts Center Foundation, Baptist Health, the UAMS Foundation, Ouachita 
Baptist University Business Advisory Council, and the Episcopal 
Collegiate School Foundation.
  During his lifetime, Bill was an enthusiastic outdoorsman. He loved 
hunting, fishing, and golf, while remaining committed to conservation 
endeavors. A final gesture honoring Bill and benefiting his community 
is the establishment of the William E. ``Bill'' Clark Presidential Park 
Wetlands, a 13-acre tract located on the banks of the Arkansas River 
running adjacent to the Clinton Presidential Library. This natural 
wetland area provides an educational exhibit that can be enjoyed by 
State, national, and international visitors for generations to come. As 
contractor for the Clinton Presidential Library, Bill believed in the 
library's mission to strive for educational advances within Arkansas, 
including the history of the United States, the institutional roles of 
the Presidency and

[[Page 11148]]

the American political system as applied to President William J. 
Clinton.
  It is hard for people to experience Arkansas without noticing the 
remarkable accomplishments of Bill Clark. It is not hard to imagine 
just what makes Bill Clark so special to his family, his friends, and 
to Arkansas. He was a person of great faith, a loving husband and 
father, a doting grandfather, and a humorous, compassionate friend to 
all he met. Bill never approached a situation with a negative attitude; 
rather, he saw everything as an opportunity to benefit his community. 
Bill will be well remembered for his generosity and commitment to 
improving his community.

                          ____________________