Preceded by Wes Watkins Party Democratic Party Political party Democratic Succeeded by Wes Watkins | Name William Brewster Resigned 1997 Role Former U.S. Congressman | |
Born November 8, 1941 (age 82)
Ardmore, Oklahoma ( 1941-11-08 ) Spouse(s) Mary Sue "Suzie" Nelson Brewster Children Balynda Karel Brewster Betsy Kecia Brewster
Bradley Kent Brewster Profession pharmacist rancher
politician Education Southwestern Oklahoma State University Previous office Representative (OK 3rd District) 1991–1997 | ||
Member of congress start date 1991 | ||
William K. "Bill" Brewster (born November 8, 1941) is a Democratic politician and a retired U.S. Congressman from Oklahoma.
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Early life
Brewster was born in Ardmore, Oklahoma on November 8, 1941, the son of Grady Omar and Rachel Mayo Brewster. He attended public schools and earned his Bachelor of Science degree in pharmacy from Southwestern Oklahoma State University in Weatherford, Oklahoma in 1968. He was initiated into Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity, and was a member of the United States Army Reserves from 1966 to 1971. He married Mary Sue "Suzie" Nelson in 1963, and the couple had three children, Balynda Karel, Betsy Kecia, and Bradley Kent. On January 31, 1990, Betsy Kecia and Bradley Kent died in a plane crash with friends of the family.
After college graduation, Brewster moved to Colleyville, Texas, where, as a licensed pharmacist, he owned and operated the Colleyville Drug until 1977. In 1968 he also began a career as a cattleman and rancher when he started Brewster Angus Farms; as well as owning a real estate business.
In the late 1970s he settled in Marietta, Oklahoma.
Entry into politics
In 1983, Brewster was elected to a seat in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. He was re-elected in 1984, and served until 1990, when he chose, instead, to run for an open seat to the U.S. House of Representatives (District 3 — then Congressman Wes Watkins had decided to retire from Congress and run for Governor of Oklahoma). Brewster won the heavily contested Democratic party nomination process and then was easily elected to Congress in November, 1990, in this heavily Democratic district (referred to as "Little Dixie," the seat had once been held for 30 years by former Democratic U.S. House Speaker Carl Albert). He was re-elected in 1992, and then again in 1994, serving from January 3, 1991 to January 3, 1997.
Retirement from Congress
Brewster decided to retire from Congress in 1996, after Former Congressman Wes Watkins began lining up support. He was mentioned as a possible Democratic candidate for governor in 1998, but declined to run for the nomination.
After he left Congress, Brewster joined R. Duffy Wall and Associates, a Washington, D.C., lobbying firm, and in 2001 he served as president and chief operating officer of this firm. He also was CEO and Chairman of Capitol Hill Consulting Group.