| William Jennings Sheffield | |
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| In office December 6, 1982 – December 1, 1986 |
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| Lieutenant | Stephen McAlpine |
| Preceded by | Jay Hammond |
| Succeeded by | Steve Cowper |
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| Born | June 26, 1928 Spokane, Washington |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Religion | Presbyterianism |
William Jennings Sheffield (born June 26, 1928 in Spokane, Washington)[1] is an American Democratic politician who was Governor of Alaska from 1982 to 1986. Sheffield's term in the governor's mansion was marked by controversy including attempts to have him impeached.[2]
While governor, Sheffield pushed an unpopular bill through the state legislature to consolidate Alaska's time zones. Prior to the passage of this bill, Alaska was spread over four time zones (Pacific, Yukon, Alaska-Hawaii, and Bering). Sheffield's bill placed virtually the entire state (with the sole exception of the Aleutians, starting just west of Dutch Harbor) into the Yukon Time Zone (which was then renamed the Alaska Time Zone).[1] Initially, this was poorly received; those in the panhandle lost their sense of unity with the west coast of the United States, and those in the heartland of the state were placed, in effect, in a perpetual daylight savings time. More than twenty years later, the state legislature was still debating the issue, with some members wanting to return the panhandle and capital to Seattle time, and with others claiming that Sheffield broke his promise to revisit the change after a one-year trial period.[2]
After leaving the position of Governor, Sheffield served as Chairman of the Board of Directors for Alaska Railroad from 1985 to 1997. In 1997 he was promoted to President and CEO of the railroad, where he served until 2001.[1][3] As of 2008, he remains on the railroad's Board of Directors as Vice Chairman.[4]
References
- ^ a b "Bill Sheffield". NNDB. Soylent Communications. 2008. http://www.nndb.com/people/818/000121455/. Retrieved 2008-02-28.
- ^ "Impeachment". New York Times. 1985. http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/i/impeachment/index.html?s=oldest&query=GOVERNORS%20(US)&field=des&match=exact. Retrieved 2008-02-28.
- ^ "Alaska Railroad - History". Alaska Railroad. http://alaskarailroad.com/arrc119.html. Retrieved 2008-02-28.
- ^ "Press Kit" (PDF). Alaska Railroad. http://alaskarailroad.com/pdf/PR_2335%20ARRC%20Press%20kit%20final.pdf. Retrieved 2008-02-28.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Jay Hammond |
Governor of Alaska 1982–1986 |
Succeeded by Steve Cowper |
| Business positions | ||
| Preceded by Robert Hatfield, Jr. |
President of Alaska Railroad 1997 – 2001 |
Succeeded by Patrick K. Gamble |
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