Festival President Continues His Labor Of Love
E.W. "Bill" Clawater III
By STEPHANIE JETER
Staff Writer
His touches are everywhere.
A Tyler tradition bows for her crown at coronation.
The Municipal Rose Garden is pruned, polished and perused.
And outside, the city asphalt welcomes thousands citizens and visitors for the Rose Parade finale.
Behind the scenes of this year's 74th Texas Rose Festival is Association President E.W. "Bill" Clawater III.
It's his fifth year on the association's executive committee.
He's followed festival tradition going through a series of committee jobs. He spent one year as treasurer, one as organizer of the men's luncheon and rose show and one arranging coronation.
Now, he's president.
"It's a five year commitment," Clawater said.
He said his commitment is to the festival and the city.
"Tyler is the rose capital," he said. "It really is our civic identity."
And with civic identity comes the appointment to serve, he said.
"Hundreds and hundreds of people work to put this on," Clawater said. "They do it because they love this community."
He calls the community "vibrant" and "beautiful."
"It's important to promote and support that."
He's accepted the title of advocate this year, but Clawater is not the first in his family to serve the city with roses. His daughters - Katie, Morgan and Allie - served as "ladies in waiting" at past festivals and his older sister was rose queen in 1966, he said.
He said those festivals stick in his mind not just as successful nods to the uniqueness of Tyler, but because of family memories. He hopes this year's festival creates memories for other families, he said. Something happens when all the beautiful gowns, thousands of roses and a community parade come together for the four-day event.
It's fun, he said.
"We want the entire community to come out and be welcome."
Welcome to celebrate the rose growers, the tradition of a yearly festival and Tyler.
"We're proud of where we live and we want to show the rest of the world how great it is."
In addition to his position as president, Clawater is an executive vice president in commercial lending at Southside Bank. He also serves on the board of directors of the East Texas Medical Center Regional Healthcare System and People Attempting to Help in Tyler. Clawater is Tyler native and graduated from The University of Texas at Austin.
He's a member of Christ Episcopal Church and serves as a member of the Church Vestry and as treasurer of the parish. He and his wife Nancy have three children.
Staff Writer
His touches are everywhere.
A Tyler tradition bows for her crown at coronation.
The Municipal Rose Garden is pruned, polished and perused.
And outside, the city asphalt welcomes thousands citizens and visitors for the Rose Parade finale.
Behind the scenes of this year's 74th Texas Rose Festival is Association President E.W. "Bill" Clawater III.
It's his fifth year on the association's executive committee.
He's followed festival tradition going through a series of committee jobs. He spent one year as treasurer, one as organizer of the men's luncheon and rose show and one arranging coronation.
Now, he's president.
"It's a five year commitment," Clawater said.
He said his commitment is to the festival and the city.
"Tyler is the rose capital," he said. "It really is our civic identity."
And with civic identity comes the appointment to serve, he said.
"Hundreds and hundreds of people work to put this on," Clawater said. "They do it because they love this community."
He calls the community "vibrant" and "beautiful."
"It's important to promote and support that."
He's accepted the title of advocate this year, but Clawater is not the first in his family to serve the city with roses. His daughters - Katie, Morgan and Allie - served as "ladies in waiting" at past festivals and his older sister was rose queen in 1966, he said.
He said those festivals stick in his mind not just as successful nods to the uniqueness of Tyler, but because of family memories. He hopes this year's festival creates memories for other families, he said. Something happens when all the beautiful gowns, thousands of roses and a community parade come together for the four-day event.
It's fun, he said.
"We want the entire community to come out and be welcome."
Welcome to celebrate the rose growers, the tradition of a yearly festival and Tyler.
"We're proud of where we live and we want to show the rest of the world how great it is."
In addition to his position as president, Clawater is an executive vice president in commercial lending at Southside Bank. He also serves on the board of directors of the East Texas Medical Center Regional Healthcare System and People Attempting to Help in Tyler. Clawater is Tyler native and graduated from The University of Texas at Austin.
He's a member of Christ Episcopal Church and serves as a member of the Church Vestry and as treasurer of the parish. He and his wife Nancy have three children.
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