Bill Barrett
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
William E. "Bill" Barrett (b. February 9, 1929) is a Republican politician from Nebraska who served five terms in the United States House of Representatives from 1991 to 2001 as the congressman for Nebraska's Third District.
Barrett was born in Lexington, Nebraska. He attended Hastings College and then earned his license to become a real estate broker.
Before seeking elective office, Barrett was a longtime real estate agent and Republican activist. He had also previously served as an administrator at his college alma mater. Barrett served as a member of the Nebraska Republican State Executive Committee in the 1960s and chaired the Nebraska arm of President Gerald Ford's campaign in 1976.
In 1978, Barrett was elected to the Nebraska Legislature, where he served until his election to Congress. He was speaker of the legislature from 1987 to 1991 and generated some controversy in that position after heated state budget negotiations. Barrett was elected to succeed retiring Rep. Virginia Smith in 1990.
In Congress, Barrett was a low-key member who generally supported the priorities of Republican leaders. He served on the House Agriculture Committee, eventually rising to become vice chairman, and on the Education/Workforce Committee. Barrett retired from Congress in 2000 and currently resides in his home state.
| Preceded by ? |
Nebraska State Senator - district 39 1979 - 1990 |
Succeeded by Ed Schrock |
| Preceded by William Nichol |
Speaker of the Nebraska Legislature 1987 - 1990 |
Succeeded by Dennis Baack |
| Preceded by Virginia Smith (R) |
United States Representative for the 3rd Congressional District of Nebraska 1991 - 2001 |
Succeeded by Tom Osborne (R) |
