Van Hilleary
| Van Hilleary | |
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Tennessee's 4th district |
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In office January 3, 1995 – January 3, 2003 |
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| Preceded by | Jim Cooper |
| Succeeded by | Lincoln Davis |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
June 20, 1959 Dayton, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Meredith Hilleary |
| Alma mater |
University of Tennessee, Knoxville Samford University |
| Religion | Presbyterianism |
William Vanderpool Hilleary, usually known as Van Hilleary (born June 20, 1959) is a Republican politician from Tennessee.
Hilleary was born in Dayton, Tennessee, the seat of Rhea County, and raised in nearby Spring City, where his family operated a textile manufacturing concern. He graduated from the University of Tennessee in 1981. He participated in the Air Force ROTC program at the University of Tennessee and served on active duty from 1982 to 1984 and has been a member of the Air Force Reserve since that time. Hilleary graduated from the Cumberland School of Law of Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama in 1990. He served two volunteer tours of duty during Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm. While in the Gulf War, Hilleary flew 24 missions as a navigator on C-130 aircraft.
Following his return from the Middle East, he entered a race for the Tennessee State Senate in 1992. His opponent was Anna Belle Clement O'Brien, younger sister and political confidante of the late former governor of Tennessee Frank G. Clement. While Hilleary was defeated, he ran such a competitive race that he was recruited to enter the Republican primary in 1994 for the Fourth Congressional District. This seat was coming open as the incumbent, six-term Democrat Jim Cooper, was running for the United States Senate. Hilleary easily won the Republican primary and faced Democratic nominee Jeff Whorley, a former aide to Cooper, in the general election. It was the first serious effort the Republicans had made in the district since its creation after the 1980 census. Hilleary won by a 14-point margin. Even allowing for the massive Republican tide that swept through the state that year, Hilleary's convincing win came as something of a surprise.
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