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'''James Lee Sheets''', known as '''Jim Sheets''' (born March 29, 1931), is a retired businessman from Bella Vista, [[Arkansas]], who is a [[Republican]] former member of the Arkansas House of Representatives. From 1967 to 1968, Sheets represented Benton County for a single term.  

'''James Lee Sheets''', known as '''Jim Sheets''' (born March 29, 1931), is a retired businessman from Bella Vista, [[Arkansas]], who is a [[Republican]] former member of the Arkansas House of Representatives. From 1967 to 1968, Sheets represented Benton County for a single term.  

He is the first member of his party in the 20th century to have been sent to the legislature from Benton County, located in the far northwestern portion of the state. In time, Benton County became the GOP’s banner county in Arkansas.<ref>Benton County, Arkansas, is not traditionally Republican; prior to 1950, the GOP for decades had controlled at the local level neighboring Searcy and Newton counties in northwestern Arkansas. Newton County, however, voted in 1964 for Orval Faubus over Winthrop Rockefeller.</ref>Sheets did not seek reelection because of the time required away from his employment as public relations director of his alma mater, the Christian-affiliated John Brown University in Siloam Springs, Arkansas.<ref name=statement>Statement of James Lee Sheets, Bella Vista, Arkansas, June 2009, based on interview with Billy Hathorn, the author of the article.</ref> At the time, evangelicals had not yet organized politically to become a vital cog of the Republican voter base, as many were still active in the [[Democratic Party]].

He is the first member of his party in the 20th century to have been sent to the legislature from Benton County, located in the far northwestern portion of the state. In time, Benton County became the GOP’s banner county in Arkansas.<ref>Benton County, Arkansas, is not traditionally Republican; prior to 1950, the GOP for decades had controlled at the local level neighboring Searcy and Newton counties in northwestern Arkansas. Newton County, however, voted in 1964 for Orval Faubus over Winthrop Rockefeller.</ref>Sheets did not seek reelection because of the time required away from his employment as public relations director of his alma mater, the Christian-affiliated John Brown University in Siloam Springs, Arkansas.<ref name=statement>Statement of James Lee Sheets, Bella Vista, Arkansas, June 2009, based on interview with Billy Hathorn, the author of the article.</ref>  

 

   

   

Sheets was born in Arkansas City in Cowley County in southeastern [[Kansas]], to June P. Sheets (1903-1982), originally from Fargo in Ellis County in northwestern [[Oklahoma]], and the former Mae Robinson (1904-2002), a native of Pierce City in Lawrence County in southwestern [[Missouri]]. June Sheets was employed in Arkansas City as an agent for the former Frisco Railroad, but he was transferred as a dispatcher in 1943 to Enid in northern Oklahoma. Therefore, Jim Sheets graduated in 1949 from Enid High School.<ref name=statement><ref<Jim Sheets had a sister, Jenta D. Strombeck (1928-2007), a missionary who spent her last years in Tahlequah in Cherokee County in eastern Oklahoma.</ref>

Sheets was born in Arkansas City in Cowley County in southeastern [[Kansas]], to June P. Sheets (1903-1982), originally from Fargo in Ellis County in northwestern [[Oklahoma]], and the former Mae Robinson (1904-2002), a native of Pierce City in Lawrence County in southwestern [[Missouri]]. June Sheets was employed in Arkansas City as an agent for the former Frisco Railroad, but he was transferred as a dispatcher in 1943 to Enid in northern Oklahoma. Therefore, Jim Sheets graduated in 1949 from Enid High School.<ref name=statement><ref<Jim Sheets had a sister, Jenta D. Strombeck (1928-2007), a missionary who spent her last years in Tahlequah in Cherokee County in eastern Oklahoma.</ref>

After having received his [[Bachelor of Arts]] degree in Bible and English in 1953, Sheets immediately joined the John Brown University staff as manager of the campus radio station. While attending JBU, he had met his future wife, the former Martha Hamlin, a native of Disney in Mayes County in northeastern Oklahoma. The couple married in 1954 and adopted four children.<ref>The Sheets children are Kimberly Norton (born 1958) of Laurinburg, the seat of Scotland County in southern [[North Carolina]]; Mark R. Sheets (born 1961) of Rogers in Benton County, Arkansas; Kevin James Sheets (born 1981) of Bella Vista, and Aaron Sheets (born 1983) of Fayetteville, Arkansas.</ref>

After having received his [[Bachelor of Arts]] degree in Bible and English in 1953, Sheets immediately joined the John Brown University staff as manager of the campus radio station. While attending JBU, he had met his future wife, the former Martha Hamlin, a native of Disney in Mayes County in northeastern Oklahoma. The couple married in 1954 and adopted four children.<ref>The Sheets children are Kimberly Norton (born 1958) of Laurinburg, the seat of Scotland County in southern [[North Carolina]]; Mark R. Sheets (born 1961) of Rogers in Benton County, Arkansas; Kevin James Sheets (born 1981) of Bella Vista, and Aaron Sheets (born 1983) of Fayetteville, Arkansas.</ref>

In 1953, Sheets joined Kiwanis International; in 1965, he served a year as governor of the Missouri-Arkansas District during the golden anniversary of the organization. After he made a Kiwanis presentation to Democratic Governor [[Orval E. Faubus]] (1910-1994), Sheets encountered Faubus thereafter on several occasions while Faubus was peddling his scrapbook memoirs, ''Down from the Hills.'' “I had no problems with Faubus. He was amicable. Many of the things he did were what the people of Arkansas then wanted," Sheets recalls.<ref name=statement/>  

In 1953, Sheets joined Kiwanis International; in 1965, he served a year as governor of the Missouri-Arkansas District during the golden anniversary of the organization. After he made a Kiwanis presentation to [[Democratic]] Governor [[Orval E. Faubus]], Sheets encountered Faubus thereafter on several occasions while Faubus was peddling his scrapbook memoirs, ''Down from the Hills.'' “I had no problems with Faubus. He was amicable. Many of the things he did were what the people of Arkansas then wanted," Sheets recalls.<ref name=statement/>