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Bill Chappell | |
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| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromFlorida's4th district | |
| In office January 3, 1969 – January 3, 1989 | |
| Preceded by | Syd Herlong |
| Succeeded by | Craig James |
| Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives | |
| In office April 4, 1961 – November 9, 1962 | |
| Preceded by | Tom Beasley |
| Succeeded by | Mallory Horne |
| Member of theFlorida House of Representatives | |
| In office November 2, 1954 – November 3, 1964 | |
| Preceded by | C. Farris Bryant |
| Succeeded by | William G. O'Neill |
| Constituency | Marion County |
| In office November 8, 1966 – November 5, 1968 | |
| Preceded by | William G. O'Neill |
| Succeeded by | Buddy MacKay |
| Constituency | Citrus,Hernando,Marion, andSumter Counties (1966–67) 30th district (1967–68) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | William Venroe Chappell, Jr. (1922-02-03)February 3, 1922 |
| Died | March 30, 1989(1989-03-30) (aged 67) |
| Party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Jeane Brown Chappell |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1942–1946 (USN) 1946–1983 (USNR) |
| Rank |  Captain |
William Venroe Chappell Jr. (February 3, 1922 – March 30, 1989) was an AmericanWorld War II veteran andDemocratic politician fromFlorida who served in theU.S. House of Representatives from 1969 to 1989.[1]
Born inKendrick, Florida, Chappell graduated from theUniversity of Florida with aBachelor of Arts in 1947 and aBachelor of Laws in 1949. TheBachelor of Laws was exchanged for aJuris Doctor in 1967.
He served in theUnited States Navy, aviator from 1942 to 1946. He retired as a captain fromUnited States Navy Reserve in 1983.
Chappell began his legal career as a prosecuting attorney inMarion County from 1950 to 1954. He later was a member of the law firm of Chappell and Rowland inOcala.
Chappell represented Marion County in theFlorida House of Representatives from 1954 to 1964, and served asSpeaker of the House from 1961 to 1963. He did not seek reelection in 1964 but was elected again in 1966 from a district encompassing Marion,Citrus,Hernando, andSumter Counties.
When incumbent CongressmanSyd Herlong retired in 1968, Chappell ran for and was elected toFlorida's 4th congressional district. He was re-elected nine times.
Chappell was a moderate to conservative Democrat and served on theUnited States House Appropriations Committee. At the time of his defeat he was serving as chairman of theUnited States House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense.
Chappell voted for theAbandoned Shipwrecks Act of 1987.[2] The Act asserts United States title to certain abandoned shipwrecks located on or embedded in submerged lands under state jurisdiction, and transfers title to the respective state, thereby empowering states to manage these cultural and historical resources more efficiently, with the goal of preventingtreasure hunters and salvagers from damaging them. PresidentRonald Reagan signed it into law on April 28, 1988.[3]
He was defeated in the1988 general election byRepublicanCraig James, losing narrowly 50.2–49.8%.[4]
Chappell married the former Jeane Brown on September 28, 1985. He was a resident ofOcala, Florida, until his death inBethesda, Maryland, on March 30, 1989, from bone cancer.
ThePort Orange Causeway, spanning theHalifax River, inPort Orange, Florida, was named theCongressman William V. Chappell Jr. Memorial Bridge by the Florida Legislature in 1989.
TheU.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic inDaytona Beach, Florida, was posthumously named after him.
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
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| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromFlorida's 4th congressional district 1969–1989 | Succeeded by |
This article incorporatespublic domain material fromBiographical Directory of the United States Congress.Federal government of the United States.
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