View source for Bill Boner

{{Short description|American politician (born 1945)}}
{{About|Bill Boner, the Tennessee educator and politician|[[South Bend, Washington|South Bend]] Mayor, Washington State businessman and politician|William H. Boner}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2016}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name                = Bill Boner
| image               = Bill Boner.jpg
| office              = [[Mayor of Nashville]]
| term_start          = 1987
| term_end            = September 27, 1991
| predecessor         = [[Richard Fulton]]
| successor           = [[Phil Bredesen]]
| state2              = [[Tennessee]]
| district2           = {{ushr|TN|5|5th}}
| term_start2         = January 3, 1979
| term_end2           = October 5, 1987
| predecessor2        = [[Clifford Allen]]
| successor2          = [[Bob Clement]]
| office3             = Member of the [[Tennessee Senate]]
| term_start3         = January 4, 1977
| term_end3           = January 3, 1979
| predecessor3        = 
| successor3          = 
| office4             = Member of the [[Tennessee House of Representatives]]
| term_start4         = January 7, 1975
| term_end4           = January 4, 1977
| predecessor4        = Ernest Fleming
| successor4          = Ernest Fleming
| constituency4       = 52nd district
| term_start5         = January 5, 1971
| term_end5           = January 2, 1973
| predecessor5        = Walter Morgan
| successor5          = Constituency abolished
| constituency5       = [[Davidson County, Tennessee|Davidson]]'s 3rd district
| birth_name          = William Hill Boner
| birth_date          = {{birth date and age|1945|2|14}}
| birth_place         = [[Nashville, Tennessee]], U.S.
| death_date          = 
| death_place         = 
| party               = [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| education           = [[Middle Tennessee State University]] ([[Bachelor of Science|BS]])<br>[[Peabody College]] ([[Master of Arts|MA]])<br>[[Nashville School of Law]] ([[Juris Doctor|JD]])
}}
'''William Hill Boner''' (born February 14, 1945) is an American educator and former [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] politician from [[Tennessee]].  He was the third [[list of mayors of Nashville, Tennessee|mayor]] of the [[Metropolitan government]] of [[Nashville, Tennessee|Nashville]] and [[Davidson County, Tennessee|Davidson County]], serving from 1987 to 1991.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.nashvillepost.com/news/2007/7/13/nashville_now_and_then_civic_forebodings |title=Nashville now and then: Civic forebodings |last=Wood |first=E. Thomas |date=July 13, 2007 |work=[[Nashville Post]] |access-date=October 30, 2022 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190324033939/https://www.nashvillepost.com/business/education/article/20401097/nashville-now-and-then-civic-forebodings |archive-date=March 24, 2019}}</ref> He served in the U.S. House of Representatives, as the Representative from the 5th District of Tennessee, from 1979 to 1987.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/william_boner/401582 |title=Rep. William Boner |publisher=GovTrack |access-date=October 30, 2022}}</ref>

==Biography==

=== Early life ===
In high school, Bill Boner was a basketball player<ref>{{Cite news |date=1962-11-25 |title=Eagles Are Loaded! |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tennessean-eagles-are-loaded/146112116/ |access-date=2024-04-26 |work=[[The Tennessean]] |pages=75 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> and tennis player for the East Nashville Eagles. On March 13, 1962, his team won the state championship. ''[[The Tennessean]]''  wrote that Boner "emerged as the biggest hero" of the game, noting that he "crammed 18 points through the nets within a period of 6 minutes and 48 seconds in the second quarter," adding that the opposing team "lost because of a Boner."<ref>{{Cite news |date=1962-03-14 |title=East Shocks Kittrell 69-65 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tennessean-east-shocks-kittrell-69-6/146112681/ |access-date=2024-04-26 |work=The Tennessean |pages=20 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> He was elected student body president for the 1962-1963 school year, his senior year.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1962-04-17 |title=Rain, Track Dearth Hurt Thinclads |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tennessean-rain-track-dearth-hurt-t/146111433/ |access-date=2024-04-26 |work=The Tennessean |pages=16 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> He was also elected governor of Boy's State despite not planning to run until the last minute.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |date=1963-12-18 |title=Boner Heads Freshman At Local College |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-news-journal-boner-heads-fresh/146113920/ |access-date=2024-04-26 |work=[[The Daily News-Journal]] |pages=1 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> He and his teammate missed part of the basketball season that year due to injuries from a car accident. A cheerleader from the nearby [[Glencliff High School]] cheerleader was critical condition.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1963-03-21 |title=This and That |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/nashville-banner-this-and-that/146112988/ |access-date=2024-04-26 |work=[[Nashville Banner]] |pages=48 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> Nonetheless, he was selected for the first team All-Nashville in 1963.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1963-02-15 |title=Cumberland's Lewis Paces All-Nashville Team |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/nashville-banner-cumberlands-lewis-pace/146113410/ |access-date=2024-04-26 |work=[[Nashville Banner]] |pages=14 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> Boner attended [[Middle Tennessee State University]], where he was elected president of the freshman class and played basketball.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite news |date=1965-12-07 |title=Tigers After 3rd Win At Manchester |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-news-journal-tigers-after-3rd/146114488/ |access-date=2024-04-26 |work=[[The Daily News-Journal]] |pages=3 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> He participated in campus life, including a panel on religion, and gave a presentation called "Decision-Making in Personal Life" at a church's study series called "Moral Man and Moral Society".<ref>{{Cite news |date=1965-01-17 |title=Panel at Peabody Discusses Religion |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tennessean-panel-at-peabody-discusse/146114565/ |access-date=2024-04-26 |work=The Tennessean |pages=60 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=1964-02-04 |title='Morality Is Study Topic |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-news-journal-morality-is-stud/146114695/ |access-date=2024-04-26 |work=[[The Daily News-Journal]] |pages=6 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> After university, he became the manager of a [[Shell plc|Shell]] station in [[Smyrna, Tennessee|Smyrna]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=1968-08-08 |title=Station Opens |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-rutherford-courier-station-opens/146114847/ |access-date=2024-04-26 |work=The Rutherford Courier |pages=1 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> On February 1, 1969, he became the basketball coach for [[Trevecca Nazarene University|Trevecca Nazarene College]] and took on a teaching role in the physical education department.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |date=1969-03-02 |title=The Price of Going Big-Time |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tennessean-the-price-of-going-big-ti/146115107/ |access-date=2024-04-26 |work=The Tennessean |pages=117 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> During his first year coaching, ''[[The Tennessean]]'' called the team "loveable losers" for its remarkably poor performance.<ref name=":1" />

===Congress===
{{BLP sources|section|date=November 2024}}
Several other persons had also decided to challenge Allen, a long-time Nashville political figure who appeared to be in declining health and who seemed vulnerable. Shortly before the deadline for candidates to withdraw from the race, Allen suffered a massive stroke. All of Allen's opponents except Boner withdrew from the race, apparently out of concern for "kicking a man when he's down." When Allen died on the day after the withdrawal deadline, Boner was virtually unopposed for the nomination, facing only a [[write-in]] campaign that went nowhere. This was tantamount to victory in November, as the [[United States Republican Party|Republicans]] had lost interest in a district they hadn't won since 1874. He was reelected four times with no substantive opposition.

Boner's tenure in Congress was largely uneventful. He established a reputation for a staff devoted to excellent constituent service, and otherwise as a moderate [[U.S. southern states|Southern]] Democrat backbencher, whose largest legislative accomplishment was a bill recognizing "National Sewing Month", something which subsequent opponents would later point to with glee. In 1986, he came under investigation by the [[U.S. House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct|House Ethics Committee]] for misusing campaign funds, not disclosing conflicts of interest, receiving an undisclosed gift and receiving a bribe from a government contractor.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Committee on Standards of Official Conduct |date=December 1987 |title=Staff Report in the Matter of Representative William H. Boner |url=https://ethics.house.gov/sites/ethics.house.gov/files/comm_print_1987%20part%201.pdf?_gl=1*1yh6vb4*_ga*MTA3MjE1Njc1MC4xNjQ0MzQyMTE3*_ga_42E9DNMDQH*MTczMTYwOTM2NC4xLjEuMTczMTYwOTM5MS4wLjAuMA |access-date=November 21, 2024}}</ref>

===Mayor===
In 1987, Nashville Mayor (and former Fifth District Congressman) [[Richard Fulton]] was prevented from running for a fourth term. Boner quickly jumped into the race, seeing an opportunity to come home, and also to end the investigation. He was opposed by a large field, notably managed health care executive [[Phil Bredesen]]. Boner won the first round, but came up short of a majority.  Under the Metro Charter, Boner faced runner-up Bredesen in a [[runoff election|runoff]]. Boner won, largely by emphasizing that he was a Nashville native and Bredesen was a Northerner (he was born in [[New Jersey]] and grew up in [[Upstate New York]]). He was the last native-born Tennessean to serve as Nashville mayor until [[David Briley]] became mayor in 2018.

===Appearance on ''The Phil Donahue Show''===
During his term as mayor, Boner made a controversial appearance on the October 15, 1990 episode of ''[[The Phil Donahue Show]]''.<ref name="boner on donahue">{{cite news|url=http://articles.philly.com/1990-10-16/news/25892812_1_mayor-bill-boner-beauty-shop-boner-and-peel|title=Mayor Is on TV; Nashville Blushes|newspaper=[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]]|first=Donna|last=St. George|date=October 16, 1990|access-date=October 30, 2022 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130531044243/http://articles.philly.com/1990-10-16/news/25892812_1_mayor-bill-boner-beauty-shop-boner-and-peel |archive-date=May 31, 2013}}</ref>

Boner appeared on the show with Traci Peel, a country singer in Nashville. The couple were engaged, making their romance controversial, as Boner was still married to his third wife. It was reported that Peel had previously told a Nashville reporter that the Mayor's passion could last for seven hours. At one point in the ''Donahue'' appearance, Boner played harmonica, while Peel sang "[[Rocky Top]]".<ref name="boner on donahue"/>

Boner and Peel would eventually marry and then divorce after Peel caught Boner cheating two years into the marriage.<ref>{{cite news |last=Whitehouse |first=Ken |date=August 1, 2008 |title=Creditors named in case of bankrupt Brentwood financial advisor |url=http://nashvillepost.com/news/2008/8/1/creditors_named_in_case_of_bankrupt_brentwood_financial_advisor |work=[[Nashville Post]] |access-date=October 30, 2022 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170108001757/http://www.nashvillepost.com/home/article/20402232/creditors-named-in-case-of-bankrupt-brentwood-financial-advisor |archive-date=January 8, 2017}}</ref>

==After term as mayor==
Boner opted not to seek reelection for a second term, the only mayor not to do so from the creation of the Metro government until [[Megan Barry]] did not seek reelection in [[2019 Nashville mayoral election|2019]] after resigning from office in 2018.<ref name="boner after mayorship">{{cite web|last=Ruble|first=Drew|date=July 2006|title=Vestige of Empire (section: Boner of Contention) |url=http://businesstn.com/content/vestige-empire|publisher=Business TN|access-date=January 16, 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120204010942/http://businesstn.com/content/vestige-empire|archive-date=February 4, 2012|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/nashville-mayor-resigns-plea-deal-after-affair-bodyguard-n854031 |title = Nashville Mayor Megan Barry resigns in felony plea deal after affair with bodyguard |date=March 6, 2018 |publisher=[[NBC News]] |access-date=October 30, 2022}}</ref> Following retirement from political office, Boner briefly became a businessman, owning a pallet factory in [[Tompkinsville, Kentucky]], and then becoming a restaurant franchisee in [[Atlanta]].<ref name="boner after mayorship"/>

Boner eventually returned to the Nashville area, becoming a social studies teacher at [[Franklin High School (Tennessee)|Franklin High School]] in [[Franklin, Tennessee]].<ref name="boner after mayorship"/> Sources had said that Boner had become a driver's ed instructor for the Williamson School System, and was "honest and open about the fact that he screwed up in office."<ref name="boner after mayorship"/>

In 1995 and 1996, Boner hosted a nightly hour-long television interview show on Nashville's [[WNAB]] called ''Prime Talk''.

Boner is reportedly retired and living with his wife, Kay, in [[Franklin, Tennessee]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Lind |first=JR |date=February 4, 2011 |title=Here's one guy not running for mayor |url=http://nashvillepost.com/blogs/postpolitics/2011/2/4/heres_one_guy_not_running_for_mayor |work=[[Nashville Post]] |access-date=October 30, 2022 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141230054304/https://www.nashvillepost.com/blogs/postpolitics/2011/2/4/heres_one_guy_not_running_for_mayor |archive-date=December 30, 2014}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Sources==
{{CongBio|B000615}}
* {{C-SPAN|1000448}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-par|us-hs}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Clifford Allen]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=Member of the [[List of United States representatives from Tennessee|U.S. House of Representatives]]<br>from [[Tennessee's 5th congressional district]]|years=1979–1987}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Bob Clement]]}}
|-
{{s-off}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Richard Fulton]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Mayor of Nashville]]|years=1987–1991}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Phil Bredesen]]}}
|-
{{s-prec|usa}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Ben Chandler]]|as=Former U.S. Representative}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[United States order of precedence|Order of precedence of the United States]]<br>''{{small|as Former U.S. Representative}}''|years=}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Ed Bryant]]|as=Former U.S. Representative}}
{{s-end}}

{{Mayors of Nashville}}
{{USCongRep-start |congresses=96th–100th [[United States Congress]]es |state=[[United States congressional delegations from Tennessee|Tennessee]]}}
{{USCongRep/TN/96}}
{{USCongRep/TN/97}}
{{USCongRep/TN/98}}
{{USCongRep/TN/99}}
{{USCongRep/TN/100}}
{{USCongRep-end}}
{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Boner, Bill}}
[[Category:1945 births]]
[[Category:20th-century mayors of places in Tennessee]]
[[Category:20th-century members of the Tennessee General Assembly]]
[[Category:20th-century United States representatives]]
[[Category:Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Tennessee]]
[[Category:Heads of county government in Tennessee]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Mayors of Nashville, Tennessee]]
[[Category:Middle Tennessee State University alumni]]
[[Category:Peabody College alumni]]
[[Category:Trevecca Nazarene Trojans coaches]]
[[Category:Schoolteachers from Tennessee]]