William R. Cliber
Cite this Page
"William R. Cliber," White House Workers History Project, White House Historical Association, 2026, https://whha.whirlihost.com/Detail/workers/1110.
- Position
- Electrician
- Years in President's House
- 1963 – 2004
- Legal Status
- Free Person
- Gender
- Male
- Race/Ethnicity
- White
- Biography
- William R. Cliber, better known as Bill, was born in Washington, D.C. on March 12, 1942. (1) In 1963, Cliber joined the White House staff. He worked in the electric shop for forty-two years, taking on a variety of tasks including spotlighting performers at the White House, dealing with blackouts and faulty wiring, and even occasionally taking care of presidential pets. (2) Cliber retired in 2004 and spent his free time working as a professional clown.(3) He died on September 19, 2019, and is buried at Parklawn Memorial Park in Rockville, Maryland. (4)
- (1) “William Richard ‘Bill’ Cliber,” Find a Grave, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/203617725/william-richard-cliber.
(2) White House Office of the Curator, e-mail message to author, March 16, 2026; Traphes Bryant, Dog Days at the White House: The Outrageous Memoirs of the Presidential Kennel Keeper (New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1975).
(3) “William Richard CLIBER Obituary,” Francis J. Collins Funeral Home, https://www.collinsfuneralhome.com/obituaries/William-Richard-CLIBER?obId=3005291.
(4) “William Richard ‘Bill’ Cliber,” Find a Grave, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/203617725/william-richard-cliber. - Birthplace
- Washington, D.C., USA