Tom Bevill

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Tom Bevill

Thomas "Tom" Bevill (March 27, 1921 – March 28, 2005), a Democrat, was a fifteen-term U.S. congressman representing Alabama's 4th Congressional District (which was numbered as the 7th from 1967 to 1973).

Bevill was born in Townley, Alabama, on March 27, 1921. He attended Walker County High School, the University of Alabama School of Commerce and Business Administration, and the University of Alabama School of Law. He served in the United States Army during World War II. He also privately practiced law.

In 1958 Bevill was elected to the Alabama Legislature, serving there until his election to Congress in 1966. In Congress, Bevill was known for securing federal money and development projects for his district. This earned him the nickname "The King of Pork," a term which he actually turned into a positive. After fifteen terms in Congress, he retired in 1997.

Bevill died March 28, 2005, in Jasper, Alabama. He had been in declining health for several years due to heart problems.