Gerald Willis (politician)

Noah Gerald Willis (January 6, 1940 – February 13, 2015) was an American businessman and politician who served in the Alabama House of Representatives from 1978 to 1982, and 1986 to 2002, as a member of the Democratic Party. Willis also sought the Democratic presidential nomination in the 1984 election.

Willis was born in Nances Creek, Alabama, and worked as a bus driver and electrician before founding a lumber mill in 1965. His business grew to earn millions in the 1980s before shutting down in 1989. He used his wealth to construct a replica of Andrew Jackson's Hermitage. Willis was active in local politics in Calhoun County, Alabama, and was on the county commission.

Willis was elected to the state house in 1978, but did not seek reelection in order to focus on his presidential campaign. He was critical of the Democratic Party of Georgia and League of Women Voters for not recognizing his candidacy. He received a few thousand votes, but won the vice-presidential primary in New Hampshire. He unsuccessfully sought election to the United States House of Representatives in 1996 and 2002.

Early life
Noah Gerald Willis was born in Nances Creek, Alabama, on January 6, 1940, to Noah Sanford and Myra Lou Rainey Willis. He graduated from White Plains High School. Willis married Frances Eloise Keener, with whom he had three children, on August 21, 1959.

Business
Willis was a bus driver for his school at age 15. He worked as an electrician in Anniston for three years. He created a sawmill business in 1965, using $350 in savings and a $1,700 loan. His company earned $14,000 in its first year and grew to earn around $2 million yearly by the 1980s. The lumber industry declined in the late 1980s and Willis had to fire 27 of his 29 employees in 1989, before closing his business and auctioning off his lumber mill.

Willis was an admirer of Andrew Jackson. In 1959, he determined that he wanted a mansion designed to be a copy of The Hermitage after watching The President's Lady. He first saw the building in 1972, and started construction on his own replica in Nances Creek, on July 7, 1978. His family moved into the house on July 4, 1980, months before construction was completed. The building cost $200,000. A resolution declaring his house the Alabama Hermitage was passed by the Alabama Legislature.

Local politics
Willis was elected to the Calhoun County Democratic Executive Committee in 1966. He was a trustee of the White Plains School, vice-president of the parent–teacher association, and president of the Civitan International of White Plains.

Earl Morgan, a member of the Calhoun County Commission, announced that he would not seek reelection in 1970. Willis placed first in the initial Democratic primary and won the runoff election. He defeated Republican nominee H. Brad Snead. He was the youngest man elected to the county commission. Willis lost renomination to Marshall Prickett in the 1974 primary.

Elections
Tom Shelton, a member of the Alabama House of Representatives from the 57th district, announced that he would not seek reelection in 1978. Willis announced his candidacy on May 25, and placed first in the initial Democratic primary before defeating John Nisbet Jr. in the runoff. He defeated Republican nominee Orval Matteson. Willis did not seek reelection in 1982, and was succeeded by Glen Browder.

Willis sought the Democratic nomination in the 34th district in the 1986 election. He placed first in the initial Democratic primary and defeated Ed Kimbrough in the runoff. He defeated Republican nominee A.C. Shelton Jr. in the general election. In 1990, Willis defeated Jerry Smith, mayor pro tem of Jacksonville, in the primary and faced no opposition in the general election. In 1994, he defeated Frank Cobb in the Democratic primary and faced no opposition in the general election. He faced no opposition in the 1998 election.

Tenure
During Willis' tenure in the state house he served on the Agriculture, Banking, Insurance, and Local Government committees. He served as vice-chair of the Business and Labor committee and vice-chair and chair of the Conservation committee.

Willis supported George Wallace in the 1982 gubernatorial election. He supported Tom Drake for speaker in 1991. Willis considered seeking the Democratic lieutenant gubernatorial nomination in the 1994 election.

Presidential campaign
The first person Willis voted for president was John F. Kennedy. In 1980, Willis and his wife ran to serve as delegates to the Democratic National Convention for Jimmy Carter from the Alabama's 3rd congressional district, but were unsuccessful. He ran to serve as a delegate from the 3rd congressional district to the 2000 Democratic National Convention.

On February 11, 1982, Willis stated that he was considering running for the Democratic nomination in the 1984 presidential election. He announced that he would not run for reelection to the state house and instead run for president on April 19. His campaign headquarters was in Piedmont, Alabama, and his wife served as his campaign manager.

Willis attended the 1983 Georgia Jefferson–Jackson Dinner, but was not recognized as a presidential candidate. Paul Weston, executive director of the Democratic Party of Georgia, stated that the party limited recognition to those recognized by the national media. He placed third behind Alan Cranston and Fritz Hollings in a straw poll conducted by the Alabama Young Democrats. He considered switching to seek the presidential nomination of the American Independent Party. He criticized the League of Women Voters for not inviting him to a debate hosted on March 11, 1984.

Willis was the third candidate to qualify for Alabama's Democratic presidential primary. Bert Lance, the chair of the Democratic Party of Georgia, added Willis' name to the state's primary ballot "in the interest of fairness" and due to Willis performing better than multiple major candidates in the delegate selection caucus. He focused his campaign on Alabama, Georgia, and New Hampshire.

By December 1983, Willis believed that Walter Mondale had "the thing sewn up", but hoped to gain enough support in the primaries to be considered for the vice presidential nomination. Willis received 50 votes in New Hampshire, 6,153 votes in Alabama, and 1,804 votes in Georgia. He ran in the American Independent presidential primary in California, but placed last behind Gordon "Jack" Mohr, A.J. Lowery, and Charles Glenn. He unsuccessfully attempted to serve as an at-large delegate to the Democratic National Convention. Willis won the New Hampshire Democratic vice-presidential primary. He raised $143,505, with $122,755 coming from himself, and spent $143,274 during his campaign.

Congressional campaigns
In 1996, Browder, a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from the 3rd congressional district, chose to run in the U.S. senatorial election rather than seek reelection. Willis announced his campaign for the Democratic nomination on February 16, but placed third behind T. D. Little and Gerald Dial. Willis did not endorse Dial, but stated that he would vote for him. He raised $179,135, with $150,000 coming from himself, and spent $178,278 during the campaign.

Willis said that he would run in the 2002 election if he was still within the 3rd congressional district after redistricting. Willis announced his campaign on January 30, 2002, but lost in the Democratic primary to Joe Turnham. Willis endorsed Republican nominee Mike Rogers. Rogers, who narrowly won the election, credited his victory to Willis' endorsement. He raised and spent $479,087, with $424,884.51 being a loan from himself, during the campaign.

Later life
Willis suffered a heart attack on April 7, 1998. He was appointed to the Natural Resources Conservation Service by George W. Bush. He died on February 13, 2015. Rogers was one of the people who officiated his funeral.

Political positions
In 1982, Willis proposed a resolution asking the United States Congress to support legislation by Representative Henry B. González that would repeal the Federal Reserve Act. Willis supported legislation that criminalized marital rape. He opposed the closure of Fort McClellan. He voted in favor a resolution calling for President Bill Clinton to continue a ban on gay people serving in the military. He voted in favor of anti-abortion legislation. Willis proposed legislation to put "In God We Trust" posters in all classrooms.

Willis supported the invasion of Grenada and funding for groups opposed to the Sandinista National Liberation Front, but opposed sending the United States Marine Corps to Lebanon. He supported the SALT II Treaty, a nuclear freeze, and a 2.5% yearly cut in the defense budget. He wanted to repeal the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade and North American Free Trade Agreement.