Tom Donald Fike Bevill (March 27, 1921 – March 28, 2005) was an American attorney, politician, and Democratic fifteen-term

U.S. congressman The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

who represented

Alabama's 4th Congressional District Alabama's 4th congressional district is a U.S. congressional district in Alabama, which elects a representative to the United States House of Representatives. It encompasses the counties of Franklin, Colbert, Marion, Lamar, Fayette, Walker ...

and

Alabama's 7th congressional district Alabama's 7th congressional district is a United States congressional district in Alabama that elects a representative to the United States House of Representatives. The district encompasses Choctaw County, Alabama, Choctaw, Dallas County, Alab ...

from 1967 to 1997.

Early years and education

Bevill was born in

Townley, Alabama Townley is an unincorporated community in Walker County, Alabama, United States. It was formerly an incorporated town from 1895 until the 1920s. Townley has one site on the National Register of Historic Places, Boshell's Mill. Demographics Townl ...

, on March 27, 1921. He attended Walker County High School, the

University of Alabama The University of Alabama (informally known as Alabama, UA, or Bama) is a Public university, public research university in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Established in 1820 and opened to students in 1831, the University of Alabama is the oldest and la ...

School of Commerce and Business Administration, and the University of Alabama School of Law. Bevill was an initiate of the Gamma Alpha chapter of

Pi Kappa Alpha Pi Kappa Alpha (), commonly known as PIKE, is a college fraternity founded at the University of Virginia in 1868. The fraternity has over 225 chapters and colonies across the United States and abroad with over 15,500 undergraduate members over 30 ...

at UA. He served in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. He also privately practiced law.

Political career

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 Pork is the culinary name for the meat of the domestic pig (''Sus domesticus''). It is the most commonly consumed meat worldwide, with evidence of pig husbandry dating back to 5000 BCE. Pork is eaten both freshly cooked and preserved; ...

", a term which he actually turned into a positive. After fifteen terms in Congress, he retired in 1997. Bevill is credited with answering the world's very first

9-1-1 , usually written 911, is an emergency telephone number for the United States, Canada, Mexico, Panama, Palau, Argentina, Philippines, Jordan, as well as the North American Numbering Plan (NANP), one of eight N11 codes. Like other emergency nu ...

emergency call on February 16, 1968, made from Haleyville by then-Alabama House Speaker

Rankin Fite Ernest Rankin Fite (September 1, 1916 – November 6, 1980) was an Alabama state legislator and attorney. Biography Fite was born in Montgomery, Alabama to Ernest Baxter and Minnie Watt Fite. His grandfather, Bloomer Rankin Fite, established a f ...

. He also sponsored the Bevill Amendment to the

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), enacted in 1976, is the principal federal law in the United States governing the disposal of solid waste and hazardous waste.United States. Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. , , ''et seq ...

which excludes mining wastes from the act's jurisdiction.

Personal life

Bevill died on March 28, 2005, in

Jasper, Alabama Jasper is a city in and the county seat of Walker County, Alabama, United States. Its population was 14,352 as of the 2010 census. Named in honor of Sergeant William Jasper, an American Revolutionary War hero, Jasper was settled around 1815 and ...

, the day after his 84th birthday. He had been in declining health for several years due to heart problems. His son Don Bevill ran for his old seat in 1998. He lost 56%-44% to his father's Republican successor

Robert Aderholt Robert Brown Aderholt (; born July 22, 1965) is an American politician and attorney serving as the U.S. representative for since 1997. He is a member of the Republican Party. The district includes most of Tuscaloosa County north of the Black W ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bevill, Tom 1921 births 2005 deaths Democratic Party members of the Alabama House of Representatives Alabama lawyers People from Walker County, Alabama United States Army personnel of World War II United States Army soldiers University of Alabama alumni Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Alabama 20th-century American politicians 20th-century American lawyers