Clement Supports Arkansas Students With Scholarship Endowment

Bill Clement is supporting University of Arkansas students through a $125,000 gift toward the Land of Opportunity Scholarship endowment. His contribution reflects his commitment to expanding opportunities through education.

“We are deeply grateful to Bill Clement for investing in the success of Arkansas students,” said Chancellor Charles Robinson. “His support for the Land of Opportunity Scholarship will help generations of talented, hardworking students achieve their goals and build brighter futures for their families and communities." 

Known as “Hawk” to his Arkansas friends, Clement is originally from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, but says his roots grow deeply in Arkansas. His father was from Rover, and he has family in many other areas of the state. His decision to attend the U of A was an easy one. “My first couple years, I think I majored in social activities,” Clement recalled. “Then I got more academically oriented later on in life.” He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English in 1967.

After graduation, Clement joined Owens Corning, a global building materials company in Atlanta, Georgia, and quickly moved up at the company. He and his family moved several times to accommodate his job, living in Tulsa, Oklahoma; Sacramento, California; Baltimore, Maryland; Washington, D.C.; and Chicago. Clement eventually became the regional vice president of Owens Corning. He was slated to move locations with the company again when he decided he was ready for a change.

In 1983, Clement and his family moved to Pinehurst, North Carolina, where he established Clement Capital Group, an investment management firm. He served as the president of the organization for over 30 years, helping to provide comprehensive financial services to individuals and businesses in nearly 30 states. 

Clement has supported the U of A through the Sigma Alpha Epsilon Building Fund for several years, but when he heard about the Land of Opportunity Scholarship, he was immediately intrigued.

“The reason I got excited about giving to education was that I noticed, of the young people I hired when I was in corporate life, the best workers I had were the ones that were financially struggling to get through school. They were just more motivated,” Clement said.

He served on the board of Sandhills Community College in Pinehurst for over 40 years. Many students at the college had some level of financial need. After completing the two-year program at the college, most would then matriculate to North Carolina State University or the University of North Carolina to complete their bachelor’s degrees. When he and fellow board members reviewed the academic records of the students who attended community college first, they realized that they had roughly a 20%-25% better grade point average than those who started as first-year students at the major universities. To Clement, this further demonstrated the motivation and potential of students with financial need.

"Bill Clement's story is one of hard work and generosity," said Scott Varady, vice chancellor for advancement. "He's seen firsthand how determination and opportunity can change a person's life, and his gift reflects that belief. This investment in Arkansas students will help others by creating an opportunity for them to chart their own paths forward, just as he did. We're deeply grateful for his commitment to helping the next generation succeed." 

With his gift to the Land of Opportunity Scholarship, Clement hopes that he can help students in Arkansas achieve their academic and career goals by alleviating their financial stress and providing resources that will keep them on the path toward graduation.

About the Land of Opportunity Scholarship: The Land of Opportunity Scholarship campaign is a three-year initiative to further educational access opportunities for students from all 75 counties in Arkansas, improve graduation rates, create two-way engagement between the university and businesses throughout the state, and fulfill the institution’s land-grant mission to uplift Arkansas. As of Oct. 31, 2025, the campaign has raised 68% of its goal in 33% of the time through more than $136,167,585 in pledges and commitments. 

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $3 billion to Arkansas’ economy  through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the few U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research and Economic Development News.