William M. Steger
| William Merritt "Bill" Steger | |
|---|---|
| Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas | |
|
In office December 1, 1970 – December 31, 1987 |
|
| Appointed by | Richard Nixon |
| Preceded by | new seat |
| Succeeded by | Richard A. Schell |
| United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas | |
|
In office 1953–1959 |
|
| Texas Republican State Chairman | |
|
In office 1969–1971 |
|
| Preceded by | Peter J. O'Donnell |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
August 22, 1920 Dallas, Texas |
| Died | June 4, 2006 (aged 85) |
| Resting place | Rose Hill Cemetery in Tyler, Texas |
| Political party | Republican gubernatorial nominee, 1960 |
| Spouse(s) | Ann Hollandsworth Steger (married 1948-2006, his death) |
| Children | Merritt Reed Steger (deceased) |
| Residence | Tyler, Smith County, Texas |
| Alma mater |
Woodrow Wilson High School |
| Military service | |
| Service/branch | United States Army Air Corps |
| Rank | Captain |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
Woodrow Wilson High School
Baylor University
William Merritt Steger, known as Bill Steger (August 22, 1920 – June 4, 2006), handled some 15,000 cases in a career spanning more than 35 years as a judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, based in Tyler, Texas. U.S. President Richard M. Nixon appointed Steger to the bench in 1970. Steger was a former chairman of the Texas Republican Party and his party's unsuccessful nominee for governor of Texas in 1960 and for the Texas's 3rd congressional district seat in 1962. Earlier, in 1953, President Dwight D. Eisenhower named him a U.S. Attorney.
Steger was born to Merritt Steger and the former Lottie Reese in Dallas and graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School there in 1938. He attended Baptist-affiliated Baylor University in Waco from 1938 to 1941.
After Pearl Harbor was bombed, Steger left Baylor to volunteer for the United States Army Air Corps. He was commissioned a second lieutenant and received his pilot’s wings in November 1942. He flew fifty-six combat missions piloting British Spitfire aircraft in the Tunisian, Sicilian, and Italian campaigns. In recognition for his bravery as a fighter pilot in World War II, Steger received the Air Medal and four Oak Leaf Clusters and attained the rank of captain. Upon returning from overseas until his discharge from the Army in 1947, Steger served as a test pilot in an experimental program to test the first ever military jet aircraft.
...
Wikipedia