Changes

'''James Lee Sheets''', known as '''Jim Sheets''' (born March 29, 1931), is a retired businessman from Bella Vista, [[Arkansas]], who is a [[Republican Party|Republican]] former member of the Arkansas House of Representatives. From 1967 to 1968, he 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 Party|Republican]] former member of the Arkansas House of Representatives. From 1967 to 1968, he 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>  

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 met [[Winthrop Rockefeller]] (1912-1973) for the first time when both were seeking office in 1966, he for the state House and Rockefeller as the first of the post-Faubus era governors and the first Republican in the position since [[Reconstruction]]. Sheets recalls having excellent personal relations with Rockefeller though, like colleague [[George E. Nowotny, Jr.]], of Fort Smith, he disagreed with Rockefeller on certain issues. In the 1967 legislative session, Sheets introduced a revised death penalty bill, but Rockefeller opposed [[capital punishment]], a position at odds with most Arkansans in both parties. According to Sheets, Rockefeller told him that their disagreement on the death penalty would not affect their personal and political association. Sheets said that he was contacted at the time by [[J. Edgar Hoover]], director of the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation]], who presented "talking points," a term not yet coined, that the death penalty is a deterrent to murder because it causes some miscreants to think twice about the taking of life if they know that their own existence would be jeopardized.<ref name=statement/>

Sheets met [[Winthrop Rockefeller]] (1912-1973) for the first time when both were seeking office in 1966, he for the state House and Rockefeller as the first of the post-Faubus era governors and the first Republican in the position since [[Reconstruction]]. Sheets recalls having excellent personal relations with Rockefeller though, like colleague [[George E. Nowotny, Jr.]], of Fort Smith, he disagreed with Rockefeller on certain issues. In the 1967 legislative session, Sheets introduced a revised death penalty bill, but Rockefeller opposed [[capital punishment]], a position at odds with most Arkansans in both parties. According to Sheets, Rockefeller told him that their disagreement on the death penalty would not affect their personal and political association. Sheets said that he was contacted at the time by [[J. Edgar Hoover]], director of the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation]], who presented "talking points," a term not yet coined, that the death penalty is a deterrent to murder because it causes some miscreants to think twice about the taking of life if they know that their own existence would be jeopardized.<ref name=statement/>

Unlike Nowotny, who considered Rockefeller’s drinking to have been serious in his later years, Sheets said that it appeared to him that Rockefeller could handle liquor in most situations. In 1973, Sheets was among the mourners at Winthrop Rockefeller’s funeral on Petit Jean Mountain,<ref name=statement/> where he met [[Nelson Rockefeller]], headed the following year to a short tenure as [[Vice President of the United States]].

Unlike Nowotny, who considered Rockefeller's drinking to have been serious in his later years, Sheets said that it appeared to him that Rockefeller could handle liquor in most situations. In 1973, Sheets was among the mourners at Winthrop Rockefeller's funeral on Petit Jean Mountain,<ref name=statement/> where he met [[Nelson Rockefeller]], headed the following year to a short tenure as [[Vice President of the United States]].

===Challenging Kelly Bryant===

===Challenging Kelly Bryant===

Upon leaving John Brown University in 1969, Sheets became the full-time executive director of the Siloam Springs [[Chamber of Commerce]]<ref name=statement/> but the next year he was back in politics as the Republican nominee against the Democratic Secretary of State, [[Kelly Bryant]] of Hope in Hempstead County in south Arkansas. Hope is also the hometown of later Governors [[Bill Clinton]] and [[Mike Huckabee]]. In that 1970 campaign, Sheets was invited to ride on Rockefeller’s helicopter.<ref name=statement/>  He won majorities in his own Benton County and the usually Republican Searcy County. By a single vote, Sheets lost in Washington County, where many of the local Democrats were also political reformers.  Official results showed Bryant with 360,209 (62.3 percent) to Sheets’ 216,752 (37.7 percent).<ref>Arkansas Secretary of State, Election results for November 5, 1970</ref>

Upon leaving John Brown University in 1969, Sheets became the full-time executive director of the Siloam Springs [[Chamber of Commerce]]<ref name=statement/> but the next year he was back in politics as the Republican nominee against the Democratic Secretary of State, [[Kelly Bryant]] of Hope in Hempstead County in south Arkansas. Hope is also the hometown of later Governors [[Bill Clinton]] and [[Mike Huckabee]]. In that 1970 campaign, Sheets was invited to ride on Rockefeller's helicopter.<ref name=statement/>  He won majorities in his own Benton County and the usually Republican Searcy County. By a single vote, Sheets lost in Washington County, where many of the local Democrats were also political reformers.  Official results showed Bryant with 360,209 (62.3 percent) to Sheets’ 216,752 (37.7 percent).<ref>Arkansas Secretary of State, Election results for November 5, 1970</ref>

Sheets recalls that the last pre-election poll that he had seen showed the race competitive, but the situation changed quickly when [[U.S. Senator]] [[J. William Fulbright]] lent Bryant the use of his political team. Sheets said that he had never expected to win the race<ref name=statement/> though he finished in the balloting some twenty thousand votes ahead of Rockefeller.<ref>Arkansas election returns, November 5, 1970</ref>

Sheets recalls that the last pre-election poll that he had seen showed the race competitive, but the situation changed quickly when [[U.S. Senator]] [[J. William Fulbright]] lent Bryant the use of his political team. Sheets said that he had never expected to win the race<ref name=statement/> though he finished in the balloting some twenty thousand votes ahead of Rockefeller.<ref>Arkansas election returns, November 5, 1970</ref>

==Kiwanis International==

==Kiwanis International==

In 1982, Sheets left Siloam Springs to become executive director of the Kiwanis International Foundation, based in [[Indianapolis]], a position that he retained until he retired in 1998. In this role, he traveled to nearly fifty countries, including [[Australia]] and [[New Zealand]], to establish Kiwanis clubs. He spurred the raising of $100 million to finance, in conjunction with the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, a campaign to eradicate [[iodine]] deficiency in the [[Third World]].<ref name=statement/>

In 1982, Sheets left Siloam Springs to become executive director of the Kiwanis International Foundation, based in [[Indianapolis]], a position that he retained until he retired in 1998. In this role, he traveled to nearly fifty countries, including [[Australia]] and [[New Zealand]], to establish Kiwanis clubs. He spurred the raising of $100 million to finance, in conjunction with the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, a campaign to eradicate [[iodine]] deficiency in the [[Third World]].<ref name=statement/>

   

   

Thereafter, Sheets and his wife returned to Benton County and settled in Bella Vista.<ref name=statement/><ref>Sheets attends the Valley Baptist Church, a Southern Baptist congregation in Bella Vista, where his wife has been the church pianist.</ref>

Thereafter, Sheets and his wife returned to Benton County and settled in Bella Vista.<ref name=statement/><ref>Sheets attends the Valley Baptist Church, a Southern Baptist congregation in Bella Vista, where his wife has been the church pianist.</ref>