Earl Frederick Hilliard

Congressman Earl Hilliard represented Alabama’s 7th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1993 to 2003 (103rd-107th Congresses). Before Congress, Hilliard served in the Alabama House of Representatives and the Alabama Senate. He served on the Agriculture, Small Business, and International Relations committees during his congressional tenure. Hilliard’s initial focus in Congress was creating economic opportunities, particularly for his constituents in the South. Hilliard attempted to assist the rural regions of his district by submitting legislation to establish a Southern Rural Development Commission, which he modeled on the Appalachian Regional Commission. The commission aimed to dispense federal money to projects enhancing economic development, improving health care, and offering job training. Hilliard attempted to protect and expand the Alabama military installations used by the U.S. Army and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, suggesting the closure of American military bases in Germany and Japan to make more funding available for domestic military installations. He received a bachelor’s degree from Morehouse College, a Juris Doctor from Howard University, and an M.B.A. from Atlanta University.