March 8, 1998

Jim McDougal died of a heart attack at age fifty-seven while being held in solitary confinement in federal prison at Fort Worth. McDougal was at various times a political aide, politician, instructor of political science, real estate developer, and banker who attained national attention due to his involvement in what came to be called the Whitewater scandal. In 1996, McDougal was investigated by the Office of Independent Counsel (OIC) under Kenneth Starr and, in 1997, due to his cooperation with the investigation, was sentenced to a reduced sentence of three years in prison on eighteen counts of felony bank fraud. His second wife, Susan McDougal, was also implicated in the investigation.