Bill Sheffield facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bill Sheffield
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Sheffield, 1989
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| 5th Governor of Alaska | |
| In office December 6, 1982 – December 1, 1986 |
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| Lieutenant | Steve McAlpine |
| Preceded by | Jay Hammond |
| Succeeded by | Steve Cowper |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
William Jennings Sheffield Jr.
June 26, 1928 Spokane, Washington, U.S. |
| Died | November 4, 2022 (aged 94) Anchorage, Alaska, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | DeVry University |
| Signature |  |
William Jennings Sheffield Jr. (born June 26, 1928 – died November 4, 2022) was an American politician. He was a member of the Democratic Party. Sheffield served as the fifth governor of Alaska from 1982 to 1986. During his time as governor, there were some discussions about his leadership.
Early Life and Business
Bill Sheffield was born in Spokane, Washington. He joined the United States Army and served from 1946 to 1949. After his military service, he studied at DeVry University.
In 1953, Sheffield moved to Alaska. He started by selling and fixing home appliances for Sears. He became very active in his local business group, the chamber of commerce. This helped him overcome a severe stutter.
Later, Sheffield started his own business called Sheffield Enterprises. This company grew to own and run 19 hotels across Alaska and in Whitehorse, Yukon. In 1987, he sold his hotel business to Holland America Line.
Besides his business, Sheffield was also involved in politics. He was a Democrat. He served on the Anchorage Planning Commission from 1960 to 1963. He also worked on the Anchorage Charter Commission in 1976. Sheffield was also the chairman of the state parole board. He was also on the University of Alaska Foundation Board.
Bill Sheffield passed away at his home in Anchorage on November 4, 2022. He was 94 years old.
Leading Alaska
As governor, Bill Sheffield worked to change Alaska's time zones. Before his plan, Alaska had four different time zones. These were Pacific, Yukon, Alaska-Hawaii, and Bering.
Sheffield's plan put almost the entire state into one time zone. This new zone was called the Alaska Time Zone. Only the Aleutian Islands kept a different time.
Many people did not like this change at first. Those in Southeast Alaska felt less connected to the west coast of the United States. People in the middle of the state felt like they were always on daylight saving time.
After Being Governor
After his time as governor, Sheffield continued to serve Alaska. He became the Chairman of the Board of Directors for Alaska Railroad. He held this position from 1985 to 1997.
In 1997, he became the President and CEO of the railroad. He worked in this role until 2001. As of 2008, he was still on the railroad's Board of Directors as Vice Chairman.
