Edwin R. Bethune

Edwin Ruthvin Bethune, Jr.
Ed Bethune

Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Arkansas's 2nd district
In office January 3, 1979 – January 3, 1985
Preceded by	James Guy Tucker, Jr.
Succeeded by	Tommy F. Robinson
Arkansas Republican Party Chairman
In office 1986–1988
Preceded by	Len E. Blaylock
Succeeded by	Kenneth Lloyd "Ken" Coon, Jr.

Personal details
Born	(1935-12-19) December 19, 1935 (age 81) Pocahontas, Randolph County, Arkansas, USA
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Lana Bethune
Children	Two children
Residence	Little Rock Arkansas
Occupation	Attorney; former FBI agent
Bethune, considered a successful U.S. Representative at the time, was unable to ride the Ronald W. Reagan Republican sweep of 1984 in his effort to unseat Democratic U.S. Senator David Pryor.

Edwin Ruthvin Bethune, Jr., known as Ed Bethune (born December 19, 1935), is a lawyer and lobbyist in Washington, D.C., who was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from Arkansas from 1979-1985. His last campaign was an unsuccessful challenge in 1984 to the second-term reelection of Democratic U.S. Senator David Hampton Pryor.

Bethune was born to Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Bethune, Sr., in Pocahontas in far northeastern Arkansas. He graduated in 1953 from Pocahontas High School. He was a Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps from 1954–1957, with service in South Korea.

After military service, Bethune obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1961 from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, where he was a member of the Kappa Sigma fraternity. He received the Juris Doctor degree from the University of Arkansas School of Law in 1963 and was admitted to the Arkansas bar that same year.

That year he began his practice in Pocahontas. In 1972, while he was living in Searcy north of Little Rock, he practiced with former Arkansas Republican Party chairman Odell Pollard, who served as his political mentor. Bethune also was admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court.