William Louis Dickinson (June 5 1925 - March 31 2008) was a U.S. Representative from Alabama from 1965 to 1993. Born in Opelika, Alabama, he served in the United States Navy during World War II, seeing conflict in Germany. After returning from the war, he attended the University of Alabama, earning a law degree. Dickinson practiced law for two years before being elected as a Lee County judge. In 1958 he was elevated to the position of state judge; he resigned from the position after four years. He then worked as an executive for the Southern Railway. He was elected to Congress in 1964 as a Republican from the Montgomery-based 2nd District as part of Barry Goldwater's sweep of the state. He defeated 14-term incumbent Democrat George M. Grant by a shocking 25-point margin. While almost none of the 2nd's living residents had been represented by a Republican before, many of them turned against the Democrats due to the Civil Rights Act of 1964. He was reelected by 9 points in 1966, but afterward was reelected 11 times without serious opposition. Dickinson was a ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee and was an important figure in shaping national defense policies during the 1970s and 1980s. He was known as a leading member of his party's conservative wing. In 1990, however, Dickinson won reelection by a razor-thin 2.5 points over state welfare commissioner Faye Baggiano. The closeness of the race prompted Dickinson to retire after the 1992 elections. (via Wikipedia)