Bill Sarpalius: Difference between revisions

William C. "Bill" Sarpalius
William C. "Bill" Sarpalius
U.S. Representative from Texas' 13th congressional district (Panhandle)
	In office; 1989–1995
Preceded by	Beau Boulter
Succeeded by	Mac Thornberry
Texas State Senator from District 31
	Incumbent
	Assumed office ; 1981
Preceded by	Robert Dale "Bob" Price
Succeeded by	Teel Bivins
Personal details
Born	January 10, 1948; Louisiana, USA
Nationality	Lithuanian-American
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Divorced
Children	David William Sarpalius
Alma mater	Clarendon College; Texas Tech University; West Texas A&M University
Occupation	Businessman; Lobbyist

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William C. "Bill" Sarpalius (born January 10, 1948) is a former Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives, who from 1989 to 1995 represented Texas' 13th congressional district, a large tract of land which includes the Texas Panhandle eastward to Wichita Falls, Texas.

Sarpalius was born in Louisiana.^[1] As a young boy, he his two younger brothers, and their mother were homeless in Houston, Texas. In 1961, when he was thirteen, he and his brothers were placed at Cal Farley's Boys Ranch near Amarillo. By the time he was eighteen, Sarpalius was the state president of the Future Farmers of America. He first attended Clarendon College in Clarendon in Donley County. He subsequently received a Bachelor of Science degree in agribusiness from Texas Tech University in Lubbock, from which he was later named a distinguished alumnus. In 1972, Sarpalius was hired by Farley's Ranch as a vocational agricuture teacher at the school. In 1978, he left the ranch to return to school and received an M.B.A. from West Texas State University in Canyon, Texas. He then launched a career in agribusiness. He has a son, David William Sarpalius, from a former marriage. Sarpalius is Methodist and affiliated with Lions International and the Masonic lodge.^[1]

In 1980, Sarpalius successfully ran for a seat in the Texas State Senate, a body in which he served until 1989. He was elected in 1988 to the U.S. House of Representatives, where he was a member of the Agricultural Committee. Sarpalius was one of a number of congressman involved in drafting the guidelines of the North American Free Trade Agreement. As a Lithuanian-American, Sarapalius called for American aid to the newly independent country of Lithuania, which was severed from the former Soviet Union at the end of the Cold War. In 1998, he was awarded the Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas by the President of Lithuania.

In 1987, Sarpalius was named among "Outstanding Pubic Servants" by the Coalition of Texans with Disabilities. In 1990, he obtained the "Guardian of Small Business Award" by the National Federation of Independent Business.^[1]

Sarpalius gained a second term in the House in 1990, when he defeated the Republican State Representative Dick Waterfield of Canadian in Hemphill County, who resigned from the legislature to make the congressional race. In 1992, Sarpalius halted the bid to return to Congress waged by former Republican U.S. Representative Beau Boulter of Amarillo, who vacated the House seat in 1988, when he waged a failed campaign to oust Democratic U.S. Senator Lloyd M. Bentsen.

In 1994, Sarpalius was one of a large number of Democrats unseated in the Republican Revolution. He lost to Mac Thornberry, who still holds the seat. Afterwards, Sarpalius was appointed by U.S. President Bill Clinton as a top official in the U.S. Department of Agriculture. He is currently the chief executive officer of Advantage Associates, a powerful Washington consulting firm made up of former elected officials.

External links

Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress

Texas Senate Template:TXSenateSuccession box
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Beau Boulter	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas's 13th congressional district 1989–1995	Succeeded by Mac Thornberry

Template:Persondata

^ ^a ^b ^c "Bill Sarpalius", Who's Who in America, Vol. 2, 48th ed. ([[Chicago, Illinois|Chicago: Marquis Who's Who, 1994), p. 3019

[whoswho-1] "Bill Sarpalius", Who's Who in America, Vol. 2, 48th ed. ([[Chicago, Illinois|Chicago: Marquis Who's Who, 1994), p. 3019

[1]

@@ Line 34: / Line 34: @@
 '''William C. "Bill" Sarpalius''' (born January 10, 1948) is a former [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] member of the [[United States House of Representatives]], who from 1989 to 1995 represented [[Texas' 13th congressional district]], a large tract of land which includes the [[Texas Panhandle]] eastward to [[Wichita Falls, Texas|Wichita Falls]], [[Texas]].
-Sarpalius was born in [[Louisiana]]. As a young boy, he his two younger brothers, and their mother were homeless in [[Houston, Texas|Houston]], Texas. In 1961, when he was thirteen, he and his brothers were placed at [[Cal Farley]]'s Boys Ranch near [[Amarillo, Texas|Amarillo]]. By the time he was eighteen, Sarpalius was the state president of the [[Future Farmers of America]]. He first attended [[Clarendon College (Texas)|Clarendon College]] in [[Clarendon, Texas|Clarendon]] in [[Donley County, Texas|Donley County]]. He subsequently received a [[Bachelor of Science]] degree in [[agribusiness]] from [[Texas Tech University]] in [[Lubbock, Texas|Lubbock]]. In 1972, Sarpalius was hired by Farley's Ranch as a [[teacher]] at the school. In 1978, he left the ranch to return to school and received an [[M.B.A.]] from [[West Texas State University]] in [[Canyon, Texas|Canyon]], Texas. He then launched a career in agribusiness. He has a son, David William Sarpalius, from a former marriage. Sarpalius is [[Methodist]] and affiliated with [[Lions International]] and the [[Masonic lodge]].
+Sarpalius was born in [[Louisiana]].<ref name=whoswho>"Bill Sarpalius", ''Who's Who in America,'' Vol. 2, 48th ed. ([[Chicago, Illinois|Chicago: Marquis Who's Who, 1994), p. 3019</ref> As a young boy, he his two younger brothers, and their mother were homeless in [[Houston, Texas|Houston]], Texas. In 1961, when he was thirteen, he and his brothers were placed at [[Cal Farley]]'s Boys Ranch near [[Amarillo, Texas|Amarillo]]. By the time he was eighteen, Sarpalius was the state president of the [[Future Farmers of America]]. He first attended [[Clarendon College (Texas)|Clarendon College]] in [[Clarendon, Texas|Clarendon]] in [[Donley County, Texas|Donley County]]. He subsequently received a [[Bachelor of Science]] degree in [[agribusiness]] from [[Texas Tech University]] in [[Lubbock, Texas|Lubbock]], from which he was later named a distinguished alumnus. In 1972, Sarpalius was hired by Farley's Ranch as a vocational agricuture teacher at the school. In 1978, he left the ranch to return to school and received an [[M.B.A.]] from [[West Texas State University]] in [[Canyon, Texas|Canyon]], Texas. He then launched a career in agribusiness. He has a son, David William Sarpalius, from a former marriage. Sarpalius is [[Methodist]] and affiliated with [[Lions International]] and the [[Masonic lodge]].<ref name=whoswho/>
 In 1980, Sarpalius successfully ran for a seat in the [[Texas State Senate]], a body in which he served until 1989. He was elected in 1988 to the U.S. House of Representatives, where he was a member of the [[United States House Committee on Agriculture|Agricultural Committee]]. Sarpalius was one of a number of congressman involved in drafting the guidelines of the [[North American Free Trade Agreement]]. As a [[Lithuanian-American]], Sarapalius called for American aid to the newly independent country of [[Lithuania]], which was severed from the former [[Soviet Union]] at the end of the [[Cold War]]. In 1998, he was awarded the [[Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas]] by the President of Lithuania.
-In 1990, Sarpalius gained a second term in the House when he defeated the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] [[Texas House of Representatives|State Representative]] [[Dick Waterfield]] of [[Canadian, Texas|Canadian]] in [[Hemphill County, Texas|Hemphill County]]. In 1992, he halted the bid to return to Congress waged by former Republican U.S. Representative [[Beau Boulter]] of Amarillo, who vacated the House seat in 1988, when he waged a failed campaign to oust Democratic [[U.S. Senator]] [[Lloyd M. Bentsen]].
+In 1987, Sarpalius was named among "Outstanding Pubic Servants" by the Coalition of Texans with Disabilities. In 1990, he obtained the "Guardian of Small Business Award" by the [[National Federation of Independent Business]].<ref name=whoswho/>
+Sarpalius gained a second term in the House in 1990, when he defeated the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] [[Texas House of Representatives|State Representative]] [[Dick Waterfield]] of [[Canadian, Texas|Canadian]] in [[Hemphill County, Texas|Hemphill County]], who resigned from the legislature to make the congressional race. In 1992, Sarpalius halted the bid to return to Congress waged by former Republican U.S. Representative [[Beau Boulter]] of Amarillo, who vacated the House seat in 1988, when he waged a failed campaign to oust Democratic [[U.S. Senator]] [[Lloyd M. Bentsen]].
 In 1994, Sarpalius was one of a large number of Democrats unseated in the [[Republican Revolution]]. He lost to [[Mac Thornberry]], who still holds the seat. Afterwards, Sarpalius was appointed by [[U.S. President]] [[Bill Clinton]] as a top official in the [[U.S. Department of Agriculture]]. He is currently the chief executive officer of Advantage Associates, a powerful Washington consulting firm made up of former elected officials.
@@ Line 68: / Line 70: @@
 | SHORT DESCRIPTION = American politician and lobbyist
 | DATE OF BIRTH     = January 10, 1948
-| PLACE OF BIRTH    =[[Los Angeles, California]]
+| PLACE OF BIRTH    =[[Louisiana]]
 | DATE OF DEATH     =
 | PLACE OF DEATH    =
@@ Line 81: / Line 83: @@
 [[Category:People from Donley County, Texas]]
 [[Category:People from Houston, Texas]]
+[[Category:People from Amarillo, Texas]]
 [[Category:Texas Tech University alumni]]
 [[Category:West Texas A&M University alumni|West Texas A&M University alumni]]
 [[Category:Clarendon College (Texas) alumni]]
+[[Category:American lobbyists]]
+[[Category:American educators]]