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Sessions was born in [[Fort Smith, Arkansas|Fort Smith]], [[Arkansas]], to the former Edith Almetta Steele  (1907-1985) and the Reverend William "Will"  Anderson Sessions, Jr., (1905-1998), a [[Church of Christ]] pastor and author who was born in [[Jackson]], [[Mississippi]]. He also pastored in the [[Presbyterian]] denomination.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/33910312/william-anderson-sessions|title=Dr. William Anderson "Will" Sessions, Jr.|publisher=Findagrave.com|accessdate=June 20, 2020}}</ref>

Sessions was born in [[Fort Smith, Arkansas|Fort Smith]], [[Arkansas]], to the former Edith Almetta Steele  (1907-1985) and the Reverend William "Will"  Anderson Sessions, Jr., (1905-1998), a [[Church of Christ]] pastor and author who was born in [[Jackson]], [[Mississippi]]. He also pastored in the [[Presbyterian]] denomination.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/33910312/william-anderson-sessions|title=Dr. William Anderson "Will" Sessions, Jr.|publisher=Findagrave.com|accessdate=June 20, 2020}}</ref>

The family of four also lived in [[California]], [[Nebraska]], and [[Missouri]]. Will Sessions authored ''Greater Men and Women of the Bible,'' ''The Week of the Cross,'' and the ''God and Country Award Handbook'' for the [[Boy Scouts]]. Son William Sessions was an [[Eagle Scout]] and a 1948 graduate of Northeast High School in [[Kansas City]], Missour. He enlisted in the [[United States Air Force]] and in 1952 received an officer's commission. He remained on active duty for three years. He attended [[Baylor University]] in [[Waco, Texas|Waco]], Texas, at which he received in 1956 a Bachelor of Arts degree and in 1958 a Bachelor of Laws.<ref name=fjc>{{cite web|url=https://www.fjc.gov/history/judges/sessions-william-steele|title=Sessions, William Steele|publisher=Federal Judicial Center|accessdate=June 20, 2020}}</ref>

The family of four also lived in [[California]], [[Nebraska]], and [[Missouri]]. Will Sessions authored ''Greater Men and Women of the Bible,'' ''The Week of the Cross,'' and the ''God and Country Award Handbook'' for the [[Boy Scouts]]. Son William Sessions was an [[Eagle Scout]] and a 1948 graduate of Northeast High School in [[Kansas City]], Missour. He enlisted in the [[United States Air Force]] and in 1952 received an officer's commission. He remained on active duty for three years. He attended [[Baylor University]] in [[Waco, Texas|Waco]], Texas, at which he received in 1956 a Bachelor of Arts degree and in 1958 a Bachelor of Laws.<ref name=fjc>{{cite web|url=https://www.fjc.gov/history/judges/sessions-william-steele|title=Sessions, William Steele|publisher=Federal Judicial Center|accessdate=June 20, 2020}}</ref>

==Career==​

==Career==​

From 1963 to 1969, William Sessions was a partner in the Waco law firm of  Haley, Fulbright, Winniford, Sessions, and Bice, now Fulbright and Winniford. In 1969, President [[Richard M. Nixon]] named Sessions the Government Operations Section of the Criminal Division of the [[United States Department of Justice]]  in [[Washington, D.C.]], a post that he filled until his nomination and confirmation in 1971 as U. S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, based in [[El Paso]].<ref name=fjc/>

From 1963 to 1969, William Sessions was a partner in the Waco law firm of  Haley, Fulbright, Winniford, Sessions, and Bice, now Fulbright and Winniford. In 1969, President [[Richard M. Nixon]] named Sessions the Government Operations Section of the Criminal Division of the [[United States Department of Justice]]  in [[Washington, D.C.]], a post that he filled until his nomination and confirmation in 1971 as U. S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, based in [[El Paso]].<ref name=fjc/>

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In 1974,  Nixon's successor,  [[Gerald Ford]], nominated Sessions to a seat on the U. S. District Court for the Western District of Texas].  He was Chief Judge of the court from 1980 to 1987. <ref name="auto"/> President [[Ronald Reagan]] nominated Sessions to succeed William Hedgcock  Webster (born 1924 in [[St. Louis]], Missouri) as FBI Director. He was sworn into office on November 2, 1987.<ref name="Atlas"/>​ As director, Sessions sought to improve the public image of the agency and proposed pay increases for the agents. President Reagan appointed him as a commissioner of the  new holiday in honor of [[civil rights]] martyr, [[Martin Luther King, Jr.]] Though a [[Republican Party|Republican]], his nonpartisan stance in office was often at odds with more  [[conservative] members of his own party. Sessions had an uneasy relationship with Attorneys General [[Richard Thornburgh]] and [[William Barr]], who filled the office at the end of the first term of President [[George Herbert Walker Bush]] and returned nearly three decades later as attorney general in the [[Donald Trump]] administration. Sessions' strongest support came from [[liberal]] [[Democratic Party|Democrats]] when he supported [[affirmative action]] to boost the number of minority FBI agents.<ref name=death>{{cite web|url=https://www.lmtonline.com/news/article/William-Sessions-FBI-head-fired-by-President-15337421.php|title=William Sessions, FBI head fired by President Clinton, dies|publisher=''The Laredo Morning Times''|date=June 13, 2020|accessdate=June 20, 2020}}</ref> He also automated the FBI fingerprints office.<re>{{cite web|url=https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/211352749/william-steele-sessions|title=William Steele Sessions|publisher=Findagrave.com|accessdate=June 20, 2020}}</ref>

In 1974,  Nixon's successor,  [[Gerald Ford]], nominated Sessions to a seat on the U. S. District Court for the Western District of Texas].  He was Chief Judge of the court from 1980 to 1987.<ref name=fjc/> President [[Ronald Reagan]] nominated Sessions to succeed William Hedgcock  Webster (born 1924 in [[St. Louis]], Missouri) as FBI Director. He was sworn into office on November 2, 1987.<ref name="Atlas"/>​ As director, Sessions sought to improve the public image of the agency and proposed pay increases for the agents. President Reagan appointed him as a commissioner of the  new holiday in honor of [[civil rights]] martyr, [[Martin Luther King, Jr.]] Though a [[Republican Party|Republican]], his nonpartisan stance in office was often at odds with more  [[conservative]] members of his own party. Sessions had an uneasy relationship with Attorneys General [[Richard Thornburgh]] and [[William Barr]], who filled the office at the end of the first term of President [[George Herbert Walker Bush]] and returned nearly three decades later as attorney general in the [[Donald Trump]] administration. Sessions' strongest support came from [[liberal]] [[Democratic Party|Democrats]] when he supported [[affirmative action]] to boost the number of minority FBI agents.<ref name=death>{{cite web|url=https://www.lmtonline.com/news/article/William-Sessions-FBI-head-fired-by-President-15337421.php|title=William Sessions, FBI head fired by President Clinton, dies|publisher=''The Laredo Morning Times''|date=June 13, 2020|accessdate=June 20, 2020}}</ref> He also automated the FBI fingerprints office.<re>{{cite web|url=https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/211352749/william-steele-sessions|title=William Steele Sessions|publisher=Findagrave.com|accessdate=June 20, 2020}}</ref>

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Sessions was FBI director during the 1992 massacre at Ruby Ridge, [[Idaho]], at which the unarmed Vicky Weaver was shot dead by an FBI sniper. The next year, the FBI launched a 51-day siege of Ruby Ridge encouraged by the administration of Bill Clinton which ended with deadly assault of more than eighty Branch Davidians in Waco, Texas.<ref name=Danner>{{cite web|title=Former FBI director, wife call off San Antonio divorce|url=https://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/Former-FBI-director-wife-call-off-San-Antonio-14562868.php|date=October 25, 2019|accessdate=June 20, 2020|author=Patrick Danner|publisher=''The San Antonio Express-News''}}</ref>​

Sessions was FBI director during the 1992 massacre at [[Ruby Ridge]], [[Idaho]], at which the unarmed Vicky Weaver and her infant son were shot dead by a confused FBI sniper. The next year, the FBI launched a 51-day siege of Ruby Ridge encouraged by the administration of Bill Clinton which ended with deadly assault of more than eighty Branch Davidians in Waco, Texas.<ref name=Danner>{{cite web|title=Former FBI director, wife call off San Antonio divorce|url=https://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/Former-FBI-director-wife-call-off-San-Antonio-14562868.php|date=October 25, 2019|accessdate=June 20, 2020|author=Patrick Danner|publisher=''The San Antonio Express-News''}}</ref>​

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Clinton then claimed that Sessions had engaged in ethical improprieties, such as using an FBI airplane to visit his daughter on more than one occasion, and errors in judgment. Clinton asked for his resignation. When Sessions refused to leave on grounds that he had done nothing wrong, Clinton fired him. He had served just over half of his 10-year appoin ted term.<ref name="Time's Up for William Sessions">{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/01/22/opinion/time-s-up-for-william-sessions.html |publisher=''[[The New York Times]]''|title=Time's Up for William Sessions|date=January 22, 1993| accessdate=June 20, 2020}}</ref>​

Clinton then claimed that Sessions had engaged in ethical improprieties, such as using an FBI airplane to visit his daughter on more than one occasion, and errors in judgment. Clinton asked for his resignation. When Sessions refused to leave on grounds that he had done nothing wrong, Clinton fired him. He had served just over half of his 10-year appoin ted term.<ref name="Time's Up for William Sessions">{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/01/22/opinion/time-s-up-for-william-sessions.html |publisher=''[[The New York Times]]''|title=Time's Up for William Sessions|date=January 22, 1993| accessdate=June 20, 2020}}</ref>​