Bill Sheffield
- November 4, 2022
- 94 years
About Bill Sheffield
Bill Sheffield, 94, American politician, governor of Alaska (1982–1986).
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Full Biography
|William Jennings Sheffield Jr. (June 26, 1928 – November 4, 2022) was an American Democratic politician who was the fifth governor of Alaska from 1982 to 1986. Sheffield's term in the governor's mansion was marked by controversy including attempts to have him impeached.
Background
Sheffield was born in Spokane, Washington. He served in the United States Army from 1946 to 1949 and went to DeForest Training School in Lisle, Illinois west of Chicago, which has changed its name to DeVry University. Sheffield moved to Alaska in 1953 to sell and service home appliances for Sears. He arrived by steamship in Seward, Alaska and took a train to Anchorage. He joined the local chamber of commerce group; his participation enabled him to overcome a severe stutter. Sheffield later founded a hospitality business, Sheffield Enterprises which expanded to own and operate 19 Sheffield House hotels across Alaska and in Whitehorse, Yukon. He sold the business to Holland America Line in 1987.
In addition to his business career, Sheffield was involved in politics and government as a Democrat, and was a delegate to numerous local, state, and national party conventions. He served on the Anchorage Planning Commission from 1960 to 1963, and the Anchorage Charter Commission in 1976. In addition, he was the chair of the state parole board and the University of Alaska Foundation Board. He died at his Anchorage home on November 4, 2022. He was 94.
Governorship
While governor, Sheffield pushed an unpopular bill through the Alaska state legislature to consolidate the state's time zones. Prior to the passage of the bill, Alaska was spread over four time zones (Pacific, Yukon, Alaska-Hawaii, and Bering). Sheffield's bill placed virtually the entire state (with the sole exception of the Aleutians, starting just west of Dutch Harbor) into the Yukon Time Zone (which was then renamed the Alaska Time Zone). Initially, this was poorly received; those in the panhandle lost their sense of unity with the west coast of the U.S., and those in the heartland of the state were placed, in effect, in a perpetual daylight saving time. More than 20 years later, the state legislature was still debating the issue, with some members wanting to return the panhandle and capital to Seattle time. Others claimed that Sheffield broke his promise to revisit the change after a one-year trial period.
Impeachment inquiry
As governor, Sheffield was brought before a grand jury investigating a contract which had been awarded by the state amid allegations of favoritism and lack of due process in the awarding process. He was not indicted. The grand jury report urged the impeachment of Sheffield. The report was leaked to the public after an anonymous source alerted the members of the news media that a waste receptacle in the court building in which grand jury deliberations had been held contained a copy of the report. After the report was leaked, deliberations about an impeachment began. An impeachment inquiry was conducted to determine whether the Alaska Senate would impeach. An impeachment would have led to an impeachment trial in the Alaska House of Representatives. By a 3–2 vote, the committee running the inquiry into Sheffield voted to send the Senate a report concluding that there was insufficient evidence against Sheffield to warrant an impeachment. Instead of impeachment, the Senate opted to pass a resolution condemning Sheffield's gubernatorial administration for favoritism.
Later career
After leaving the position of governor, Sheffield served as chairman of the board of directors for the Alaska Railroad from 1985 to 1997. In 1997, he was promoted to president and CEO of the railroad, where he served until 2001. By 2008, he was vice chairman of the railroad's Board of Directors.
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Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Sheffield
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
- View article
- Sep 26, 2026
Trivia & Knowledge· 16 questions
Questions drawn from Bill Sheffield's archived record and the sources above.
1.In what year was Bill Sheffield born?
- A.1926
- B.1930
- C.1928correct
- D.1932
William Jennings Sheffield Jr. was born on June 26, 1928.
Source: Background
2.Where was Bill Sheffield born?
- A.Anchorage, Alaska
- B.Lisle, Illinois
- C.Spokane, Washingtoncorrect
- D.Seattle, Washington
Bill Sheffield was born in Spokane, Washington.
Source: Background
3.What military branch did Bill Sheffield serve in from 1946 to 1949?
- A.United States Air Force
- B.United States Marine Corps
- C.United States Navy
- D.United States Armycorrect
Bill Sheffield served in the United States Army from 1946 to 1949.
Source: Background
4.What occupation did Bill Sheffield hold when he first moved to Alaska in 1953?
- A.Working as a railroad engineer
- B.Running a construction company
- C.Operating a hospitality management firm
- D.Selling and servicing home appliances for Searscorrect
Bill Sheffield moved to Alaska in 1953 to sell and service home appliances for Sears.
Source: Background
5.How did Bill Sheffield overcome a severe stutter?
- A.Through intensive theater training
- B.Through private speech therapy
- C.By attending college in Illinois
- D.By joining a local chamber of commerce groupcorrect
Bill Sheffield's participation in a local chamber of commerce group enabled him to overcome a severe stutter.
Source: Background
6.To which company did Bill Sheffield sell his hotel business in 1987?
- A.Holland America Linecorrect
- B.Alaska Railroad
- C.Susitna Publishing Company
- D.Sears
Bill Sheffield sold Sheffield Enterprises to Holland America Line in 1987.
Source: Background
7.Bill Sheffield served as the governor of Alaska during which years?
- A.1984–1988
- B.1978–1982
- C.1980–1984
- D.1982–1986correct
Bill Sheffield was the fifth governor of Alaska from 1982 to 1986.
Source: Background
8.What major change did Bill Sheffield push through the Alaska state legislature?
- A.Privatization of the state railroad
- B.Reorganization of the state charter commission
- C.Consolidation of state time zonescorrect
- D.New requirements for the parole board
While governor, Bill Sheffield pushed an unpopular bill to consolidate the state's time zones.
Source: Governorship
9.Which time zone was established for most of Alaska after Bill Sheffield's consolidation bill?
- A.Yukon Time Zone
- B.Bering Time Zone
- C.Pacific Time Zone
- D.Alaska Time Zonecorrect
Bill Sheffield's bill placed most of the state into what was renamed the Alaska Time Zone.
Source: Governorship
10.What prompted the grand jury to investigate Bill Sheffield while he was governor?
- A.Misuse of state funds for private travel
- B.Illegal campaign contributions
- C.Allegations of favoritism in a state contractcorrect
- D.Conflicts of interest in hotel sales
Bill Sheffield was brought before a grand jury investigating a contract awarded by the state amid allegations of favoritism.
Source: Impeachment inquiry
11.How did the public learn about the grand jury report regarding Bill Sheffield?
- A.It was leaked after being found in a waste receptaclecorrect
- B.It was released by the Alaska Supreme Court
- C.It was released via a press conference
- D.It was published in the state official gazette
The report was leaked after a source alerted the media that it was in a waste receptacle in the court building.
Source: Impeachment inquiry
12.What was the final outcome of the impeachment inquiry against Bill Sheffield?
- A.He was removed from office
- B.The House of Representatives impeached him
- C.The committee found insufficient evidence for impeachmentcorrect
- D.He resigned before the vote
The committee concluded there was insufficient evidence against Bill Sheffield to warrant an impeachment.
Source: Impeachment inquiry
13.What role did Bill Sheffield hold at the Alaska Railroad starting in 1997?
- A.Chairman of the board
- B.President and CEOcorrect
- C.Chief financial officer
- D.Director of logistics
In 1997, Bill Sheffield was promoted to president and CEO of the Alaska Railroad.
Source: Later career
14.Where did Bill Sheffield attend training school before moving to Alaska?
- A.Anchorage
- B.Spokane
- C.Lisle, Illinoiscorrect
- D.Juneau
Bill Sheffield went to DeForest Training School in Lisle, Illinois.
Source: Background
15.In what city did Bill Sheffield die?
- A.Spokane, Washington
- B.Seattle, Washington
- C.Lisle, Illinois
- D.Anchorage, Alaskacorrect
Bill Sheffield died at his Anchorage home on November 4, 2022.
Source: Background
16.What was the title of the memoir published by Bill Sheffield in 2018?
- A.Bill Sheffield: A Life in Politics
- B.The Alaska Years
- C.Bill Sheffield: A Memoircorrect
- D.The Governor's Mansion
The book is titled Bill Sheffield: a memoir, from the great depression to the Alaska governor's mansion and beyond.
Source: Author
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