Charles B. Clement Jr.

Charles Baxter Clement Jr., 62, former member of the board of directors of the Chicago Board of Trade and previously responsible for the development of Holiday Inns International Hotel Division, died after a short illness at St. Lukes Hospital in Milwaukee on Saturday, Sept. 14. He had spent the summer at his Lake Geneva home.He received a scholarship from Princeton University and graduated with honors in 1962. He then entered the University of Virginia School of Law in Charlottesville, graduating in 1965. That summer, based on his academic and leadership accomplishments, the Rotary Club of Memphis awarded him a full scholarship at the University of Heidelberg in Germany, from which he graduated with the degree of masters of law. He became proficient in German and French during that period.He returned to Memphis and practiced briefly with the prestigious firm of Baker, Donelson, Bearman and Caldwell. Kemmons Wilson Sr., founder of Holiday Inns, sought him out to lead their international expansion from their base in Brussels. Charlie also worked closely with Occidental Petroleum Co. and Dr. Armand Hammer, bringing Holiday Inns into countries where Occidental was expanding. This meant long stays in London.In 1971, he returned to Memphis and founded, with Mr. Wilsons son, Spence, The New South Venture Capitol Co. One of their first investments was the start-up He started in 1975 in the newly created Ginnie Mae trading pit. By the late 1970s, Charlie was the largest Treasury Bond broker at the Chicago Board of Trade. In the mid-1980s, Charlie was director of the Chicago Board of Trade and in charge of agricultural options. In that position, he was prominent in creating the now highly successful Agricultural Options contracts.A delightful anecdote by one of his friends relates to Charlies early years on the Board of Trade. When he arrived at the pits, his height, 6 feet 4 inches, was a great advantage, but his mild Southern manners were not. His dilemma was contrary to all he had been taught, for he had to scream, and scream loud and well, simply to make a living. And, so, he wisely chose to be tutored in voice projection, in order to be heard in the pits, by a retired, imposing, Wagnerian diva. We have a delightful, fanciful picture of the handsome, genteel Southerner, screaming at sunset on the Gold Coast, with an old and ample Brunhilda. Opera was not foreign to him - one of his closest friends was the late Ardis Krainik, general manager of Lyric Opera.During the late 1980s, Charlie indulged in another one of his passions - writing and literature. Two of his novels were published by Warner Books, Retiring in the early 90s, he continued writing, working on venture investments, reading, traveling and light gardening at his summer home.Charlie will always be remembered by many for his personal generosity, both material and through the advice, counsel and affection he gave to others, particularly the younger generations.Charlie is survived by his sister, Laura Clement Cousar, her husband, George, and their children, of Greenville, S.C.; and his brother, Neal Garver Clement, his wife, Patte, and their children of Florence, Ala.Funeral services will be at Linn Presbyterian Church in Lake Geneva, Wis., at 5 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 19, followed by a gathering of his friends at Black Point Manor on Lake Geneva near Charlies home. For information, call Steinke Funeral Home at (262) 248-2320 in Lake Geneva.