Bill Hefner
Encyclopedia
Willie Gathrel "Bill" Hefner (April 11, 1930 – September 2, 2009), was a Democratic U.S. Congressman
from North Carolina
, serving between 1975 and 1999.
Born in Elora, Tennessee
, Hefner graduated from high school in Sardis, Alabama
. He attended the University of Alabama
, and he became the president and owner of radio station WRKB
in Kannapolis, North Carolina
. He was a member of the Harvesters Quartet, a group of gospel music
singers based in North Carolina, from 1954 to 1967, and was a television performer on numerous North Carolina TV channels.
In 1974, he was elected as a Democrat
to the 94th United States Congress
; he served a total of 12 terms, from January 3, 1975 until January 3, 1999, when he retired from Congress.
Hefner built a reputation as an advocate for military veterans, and the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Salisbury, North Carolina
, was renamed in his honor in 1999.
After retiring from Congress, Hefner moved with his wife, Nancy, to Alabama. He served from October 2001 until November 2002 as the District One commissioner for Marshall County, Alabama
. He died in Huntsville, Alabama on September 2, 2009 after suffering a brain aneurysm.
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, serving between 1975 and 1999.
Born in Elora, Tennessee
Elora, Tennessee
Elora is an unincorporated community in Lincoln County, Tennessee, United States. It lies approximately southeast of Fayetteville and north of the Alabama state line.-Notable people:...
, Hefner graduated from high school in Sardis, Alabama
Sardis, Alabama
Sardis is an unincorporated community in Dallas County, Alabama. Sardis has one site included on the National Register of Historic Places, the J. Bruce Hain House.-Geography:Sardis is located at and has an elevation of ....
. He attended the University of Alabama
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
, and he became the president and owner of radio station WRKB
WRKB
WRKB is a radio station broadcasting a Southern Gospel format. Licensed to Kannapolis, North Carolina, USA, it serves the Rowan and Cabarrus county areas. The station is currently owned by Ford Broadcasting.-History:...
in Kannapolis, North Carolina
Kannapolis, North Carolina
Kannapolis is a city in Cabarrus and Rowan counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina, northwest of Concord and northeast of Charlotte. The population was 42,625 at the 2010 census, which makes Kannapolis the 20th largest city in North Carolina...
. He was a member of the Harvesters Quartet, a group of gospel music
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
singers based in North Carolina, from 1954 to 1967, and was a television performer on numerous North Carolina TV channels.
In 1974, he was elected as a Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
to the 94th United States Congress
94th United States Congress
The Ninety-fourth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1975 to January 3, 1977, during the administration...
; he served a total of 12 terms, from January 3, 1975 until January 3, 1999, when he retired from Congress.
Hefner built a reputation as an advocate for military veterans, and the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Salisbury, North Carolina
Salisbury, North Carolina
Salisbury is a city in Rowan County in North Carolina, a state of the United States of America. The population was 33,663 in the 2010 Census . It is the county seat of Rowan County...
, was renamed in his honor in 1999.
After retiring from Congress, Hefner moved with his wife, Nancy, to Alabama. He served from October 2001 until November 2002 as the District One commissioner for Marshall County, Alabama
Marshall County, Alabama
Marshall County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is included in the Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area. Its name is in honor of John Marshall, famous Chief Justice of the United States. As of 2010 the population was 93,019...
. He died in Huntsville, Alabama on September 2, 2009 after suffering a brain aneurysm.