American Presidents: William Jefferson Clinton

Bill Clinton became the 42nd President of the United States in 1993, and the first Democratic President to serve two terms since Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Born in Hope, Arkansas, he grew up in a turbulent and troubled home. Rising from poverty to graduate from Georgetown University, he attended Oxford University on a Rhodes scholarship and received a law degree from Yale. After serving as Attorney General of Arkansas, he became the youngest governor in the nation, only to be defeated and elected again this time for four terms. These experiences led him to the presidency, where his new generation of government brought economic recovery and improved international relations. He made more minority appointments then any other President, bringing diversity to the White House.