Robert Marion Berry
| Robert Marion Berry | |
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Arkansas's 1st district |
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In office January 3, 1997 – January 3, 2011 |
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| Preceded by | Blanche Lincoln |
| Succeeded by | Rick Crawford |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
August 27, 1942 Stuttgart, Arkansas, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Carolyn Berry |
| Residence | Gillett, Arkansas |
| Alma mater | University of Arkansas |
| Occupation | farmer, pharmacist |
| Religion | Methodist |
Robert Marion Berry (born August 27, 1942) is an American politician who was the U.S. Representative for Arkansas's 1st congressional district from 1997 to 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party.
Born in Stuttgart, Arkansas, Berry was raised in nearby Bayou Meto, Arkansas County in the Arkansas Delta. The son of a rice farmer, he was encouraged by his parents to work towards a career outside the farm. Moving to Little Rock, he earned a pharmacy degree at the University of Arkansas and then ran a pharmacy for two years. In 1967, he returned to the family business and became a farmer in his own right, harvesting soybeans and rice, establishing a business that he carries on today. The family farm holdings have a reported net worth in excess of $1 million.
He ran and was elected to a position as a city alderman in Gillett, Arkansas in 1976. He was appointed as a member of the Arkansas Soil and Water Conservation Commission by Governor Bill Clinton in 1986, and continued in that role until 1994. In 1993, then President Bill Clinton went on to appoint Berry as a member of the White House Domestic Policy Council (1993–1996) and special assistant to the President for Agricultural Trade and Food Assistance (1993–1996).
Berry has been appointed to the House Appropriations Committee and serves on the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, Energy and Water, and Transportation subcommittees. He was also chosen by Democratic Leadership to serve as Vice-Chair of the Steering and Policy Committee and as a member of the Leader's Senior Whip Team.
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