Jimmie Lou Fisher | |
---|---|
Treasurer of Arkansas | |
In office January 19, 1981 – January 14, 2003 |
|
Governor |
Frank White Bill Clinton Jim Tucker Mike Huckabee |
Preceded by | Nancy Hall |
Succeeded by | Gus Wingfield |
Auditor of Arkansas | |
In office February 1979 – January 19, 1981 |
|
Governor | Bill Clinton |
Preceded by | Jimmie Jones |
Succeeded by | Julia Jones |
Personal details | |
Born |
Delight, Arkansas, U.S. |
December 31, 1941
Political party | Democratic |
Alma mater | Arkansas State University, Jonesboro |
Jimmie Lou Fisher (born December 31, 1941) is the longest serving Arkansas State Treasurer in Arkansas history, grew up in Paragould, Arkansas. She attended school at Delaplaine School in Delaplaine, Arkansas. She, at a very early age, became interested in politics, and aspired to be successful. She graduated from Vilonia High School, and attended Arkansas State College in Jonesboro, Arkansas, and after graduating went on to hold a number of jobs, and was a party activist for over a decade. She has described herself as lifelong, diehard, yellow dog Democrat.
Fisher was born in Delight, Arkansas. She was elected Treasurer of Greene County, Arkansas, in 1970, and went on to serve four two-year terms, until in 1979, when newly elected Governor Bill Clinton, appointed her Auditor of State.
Aside from that, she was very active in Democratic politics at the same time. She served as Vice Chairman of the Arkansas Democratic State Committee from 1976 to 1978 and went on to serve as a member of the Democratic National Committee during the same time period, 1976–1978. In 1978, she helped run then Arkansas Attorney General Bill Clinton's ultimately successful run for governor, serving as his 1st Congressional District Coordinator.
Fisher is noted as one of the major women in Arkansas politics, and one of the better known, and high-powered Arkansas Democratic activists. Positions she has held include:
Jimmie Lou Fisher served as Auditor of State for one year. In 1980 she ran for state treasurer when Nancy Hall, the first woman ever elected as a statewide constitutional officer in Arkansas, retired after serving 18 years. Fisher easily won the primary due to her powerful connections within the Arkansas Democratic Party. She then went on to win the General Election just as easily, and in doing so, became only the third woman ever to be elected to statewide office in Arkansas (behind Hall and Senator Hattie Caraway). She then went on to win three two-year terms as state treasurer, and four four-year terms, serving a total of 22 years as state treasurer, making her the longest serving state treasurer in the history of Arkansas, and placing her among its longest serving statewide officials.