James Lee “Jim” Sheets (March 29, 1931 – March 1, 2020) was an American businessman and educator who served a single term as a Republican member of the Arkansas House of Representatives for Benton County from 1967 to 1968. He is noted for being the first Republican elected from Benton County in the twentieth century.
Early life and education
Sheets was born in Arkansas City, Kansas, in Cowley County. His parents were June P. Sheets, a railway employee, and Mae Robinson. After his family moved to Enid, Oklahoma, he graduated from Enid High School in 1949. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Bible and English from John Brown University (JBU) in Siloam Springs, Arkansas, in 1953.
Military service
From 1955 to 1958, Sheets served in the United States Army, including a posting at the Oakland Naval Supply Station in California. His duties included work under a secret clearance for the Atomic Energy Commission.
Career
Following his military service, Sheets returned to JBU as director of public relations and student recruitment, a position he held until 1969. Under his tenure, enrollment rose from about 250 to nearly 800 students. He later worked as a businessman in Bella Vista, Arkansas, and was involved with Kiwanis International.
Political career
Running as a Republican, Sheets won election to the Arkansas House of Representatives in 1966, representing Benton County for the 1967‑68 legislative session. His election marked the first time a Republican from that county served in the state legislature during the twentieth century. During his term he introduced a revised death‑penalty bill, which was opposed by Governor Winthrop Rockefeller. Sheets did not seek re‑election, citing the demands of his role at John Brown University.
Personal life
In 1954, Sheets married Martha Hamlin; the couple adopted four children: Kimberly S. Norton, Mark R. Sheets, Kevin James Sheets, and Aaron Sheets.
Death
James Lee Sheets died on March 1, 2020, in Bella Vista, Arkansas, at the age of 88.