William Hanes Ayres

This article is about the Ohio congressman. For the Kansas congressman, see William A. Ayres.

William Ayres
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Ohio's 14th district
In office January 3, 1951 – January 3, 1971
Preceded by	Walter B. Huber
Succeeded by	John F. Seiberling
Personal details
Born	William Hanes Ayres (1916-02-05)February 5, 1916 Eagle Rock, Virginia, U.S.
Died	December 27, 2000(2000-12-27) (aged 84) Columbia, Maryland, U.S.
Resting place	Arlington National Cemetery
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Mary Helen Coventry
Children	3
Alma mater	Western Reserve University
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	United States Army
Years of service	1944–1945
Rank	Private
Battles/wars	World War II

William Hanes Ayres (February 5, 1916 – December 27, 2000) was an American World War II veteran and politician who served as a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Ohio from 1951 to 1971.

Early life and career

William H. Ayres was born in Eagle Rock, Virginia. He moved with his parents to West Virginia and later to Lorain County, Ohio. He attended the Weller Township High School, and graduated from Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1936. He worked as a salesman for heating equipment in Akron, Ohio, from 1936 to 1944.

He was president of the Ayres Heating & Insulation Co., Akron, Ohio, since 1946.

World War II

During the Second World War he served as a private in the United States Army until being discharged December 17, 1945.

Congress

Ayres was elected as a Republican to the Eighty-second and to the nine succeeding Congresses. Ayres was well regarded by House members of both parties. He usually did not list his party affiliation on his campaign literature instead listing himself as "Your Congressman."^{[citation needed]}

He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1970 to the Ninety-second Congress defeated by John Seiberling, an Akron Democrat and scion.

Civil rights

Ayres voted in favor of the Civil Rights Acts of 1957,^[1] 1960,^[2] 1964,^[3] and 1968,^[4] and the Voting Rights Act of 1965,^[5] as well as being one of six Ohio Republicans in the House of Representatives to support Medicare.^[6]

Death and family legacy

He died of heart and kidney ailments on December 27, 2000, in Columbia, Maryland. Interment at Arlington National Cemetery.

Representative Ayres's wife of 61 years, Mary Helen Coventry Ayres, died in 1999.

He had two daughters, Virginia Mount Ayres of Alexandria, Virginia, and Judith Elizabeth Ayres Burke of Middleburg, Virginia. A son, Frank Hanes Ayres, died in 1991.

References

1. "HR 6127. CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1957". GovTrack.us.
2. "HR 8601. PASSAGE".
3. "H.R. 7152. PASSAGE".
4. "TO PASS H.R. 2516, A BILL TO ESTABLISH PENALTIES FOR INTERFERENCE WITH CIVIL RIGHTS. INTERFERENCE WITH A PERSON ENGAGED IN ONE OF THE 8 ACTIVITIES PROTECTED UNDER THIS BILL MUST BE RACIALLY MOTIVATED TO INCUR THE BILL'S PENALTIES".
5. "TO PASS H.R. 6400, THE 1965 VOTING RIGHTS ACT".
6. "TO PASS H.R. 6675, A BILL TO PROVIDE A HOSPITAL INSURANCE PROGRAM FOR THE AGED UNDER THE SOCIAL SECURITY ACT".

• United States Congress. "William Hanes Ayres (id: A000229)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved on March 28, 2010
• The Political Graveyard

U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Walter B. Huber	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Ohio's 14th congressional district 1951–1971	Succeeded by John F. Seiberling