Jesse Helms, American journalist and politician (died 2008)

Jesse Alexander Helms Jr. was an American politician, journalist, and Navy veteran. A leader in the conservative movement, he represented North Carolina in the United States Senate from 1973 to 2003. As chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee from 1995 to 2001, he had a major voice in foreign policy. Helms helped organize and fund the conservative resurgence in the 1970s, focusing on Ronald Reagan's quest for the White House as well as helping many local and regional candidates.