- Jesse Helms: 1921-2008

- Republican senator from North Carolina, 1973-2003

- Born in Monroe, Union County, N.C., on Oct. 18, 1921

- Educated in the public schools of Monroe, Wingate Junior College and Wake Forest College

- Served in the United States Navy, 1942-1945

- City editor, Raleigh Times

- Administrative assistant to U.S. Sens. Willis Smith, 1951-1953, and Alton Lennon, 1953

- Executive director, North Carolina Bankers Association, 1953-1960

- Member, Raleigh City Council, 1957-1961; television and radio executive, 1960-1972

- Elected as a Republican to the U.S. Senate in 1972 and reelected in 1978, 1984, 1990 and again in 1996; served from Jan. 3, 1973, to Jan. 3, 2003

- Not a candidate for reelection in 2002

- Chairman, Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry (97th to 99th Congresses), Committee on Foreign Relations (104th to 106th Congresses; 107th Congress)

Source: Biographical Directory of the United States Congress