William S. Sessions facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
William S. Sessions
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| 4th Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation | |
| In office November 2, 1987 – July 19, 1993 |
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| President | Ronald Reagan George H. W. Bush Bill Clinton |
| Deputy | Floyd I. Clarke |
| Preceded by | William H. Webster |
| Succeeded by | Louis Freeh |
| Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas | |
| In office 1980–1987 |
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| Preceded by | Jack Roberts |
| Succeeded by | Lucius Desha Bunton III |
| Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas | |
| In office December 20, 1974 – November 1, 1987 |
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| Appointed by | Gerald Ford |
| Preceded by | Ernest Allen Guinn |
| Succeeded by | Emilio M. Garza |
| United States Attorney for the Western District of Texas | |
| In office 1971–1974 |
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| Appointed by | Richard Nixon |
| Preceded by | Segal Wheatley |
| Succeeded by | Hugh Shovlin |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
William Steele Sessions
May 27, 1930 Fort Smith, Arkansas, U.S. |
| Died | June 12, 2020 (aged 90) San Antonio, Texas, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Alice Lewis
(m. 1952; died 2019) |
| Children | 4, including Pete |
| Education | Baylor University (BA, LLB) |
William Steele Sessions (May 27, 1930 – June 12, 2020) was an American lawyer and judge. He became a judge for the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas. Later, he served as the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Sessions led the FBI from 1987 to 1993. He was removed from his position by President Bill Clinton. William Sessions was also the father of Texas Congressman Pete Sessions.
Contents
Early Life and Education
William Sessions was born in Fort Smith, Arkansas, in 1930. His mother was Edith A. Steele, and his father was Reverend Will Anderson Sessions Jr. He finished high school in Kansas City, Missouri, in 1948.
After high school, he joined the United States Air Force. He served actively until 1955. Sessions then went to Baylor University in Waco, Texas. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1956. In 1958, he received his law degree from Baylor Law School. While at Baylor, he joined the Delta Chi fraternity. He was also an Eagle Scout, which is the highest rank in the Boy Scouts of America.
Career in Law and Justice
Starting His Legal Career
From 1963 to 1969, Sessions worked as a lawyer in Waco, Texas. He then moved to Washington, D.C.. There, he became the Chief of the Government Operations Section in the Criminal Division of the United States Department of Justice. He held this role until 1971.
Becoming a Federal Judge
In 1971, William Sessions was appointed as the United States Attorney for the Western District of Texas. This meant he was the chief prosecutor for that area.
President Gerald Ford nominated him to be a federal judge in 1974. The United States Senate approved his nomination. He became a judge for the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas on December 20, 1974. From 1980 to 1987, he served as the Chief Judge of that court. He left this position on November 1, 1987.
Leading the FBI (1987–1993)
After a long search, President Ronald Reagan chose William Sessions to be the new Director of the FBI. He was sworn into office on November 2, 1987.
Sessions was seen as a fair and strong leader. He worked to improve the FBI's image in Congress. He also fought to increase the pay for FBI agents.
During his time, Sessions encouraged the FBI laboratory to develop a strong DNA program. He also helped automate the national fingerprint process. This project, called the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS), made fingerprint searches much faster. What used to take months could now be done in hours.
Sessions was the FBI Director during some difficult events. These included the 1992 Ruby Ridge incident in Idaho. Another was the Waco siege in Texas in 1993. These events led to a lot of discussion and criticism of the FBI.
In 1993, some concerns were raised about Sessions' actions. These included using an FBI plane for personal trips. There were also questions about a security system installed at his home. The Attorney General, Janet Reno, stated that Sessions had shown "serious deficiencies in judgment."
Sessions denied doing anything wrong. He refused to resign from his position. Because of this, President Bill Clinton removed him from office on July 19, 1993. Sessions had served about five and a half years of a ten-year term. However, the FBI Director serves at the President's discretion.
After leaving the FBI, Sessions returned to Texas. He continued to be involved in legal and public service work. He was a member of the American Bar Association. He also served on various legal and justice committees. For example, he was part of a task force that looked at presidential signing statements. He also joined a task force examining the detention center at Guantanamo Bay.
Personal Life and Death
William Sessions married Alice Lewis in 1952. They had four children together: William L., Pete, Mark, and Sara. Alice passed away in 2019.
William Sessions died on June 12, 2020. He was 90 years old. He passed away at his home in San Antonio, Texas, due to complications from heart failure.
Images for kids
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William S. Sessions
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Author Ronald Kessler with William Sessions and Sessions' wife Alice
