EMERSON, Norvell William (Bill), (husband of Jo Ann Emerson), a Representative from Missouri; born in St. Louis, Jefferson County, Mo., January 1, 1938; raised in Jefferson County and attended public schools in Hillsboro; served as a page in the United States House of Representatives in the Eighty-third and Eighty-fourth Congresses; graduated from United States Capitol Page School, Washington, D.C., 1955; B.A., Westminster College, Fulton, Mo., 1959; attended University of Missouri Law School, Columbia, 1960; LL.B., University of Baltimore, Baltimore, Md., 1964; United States Air Force Reserve, captain, 1964-1992; special assistant to United States Representative Robert F. Ellsworth, 1961-1965; special assistant to United States Representative and Senator Charles McC. Mathias, Jr., 1965-1970; director, government relations, Fairchild Industries, 1970-1973; director, public affairs, Interstate Natural Gas Association, 1974-1975; executive assistant to chairman, Federal Election Commission, 1975; director, federal relations, TRW, Inc., 1975-1979; president, N. William Emerson and Associates, government relations consultants, 1979-1980; elected as a Republican to the Ninety-seventh and to the seven succeeding Congresses (January 3, 1981-June 22, 1996); died on June 22, 1996, in Bethesda, Md.

Source: Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1771-Present.

Note:  A Memorial service was held in St. Vincent's Cathedral in Cape Girardeau, MO.  
The bridge crossing the Mississippi River from Cape Girardeau to Illinois was named in his honor and dedicated by his wife, Congresswoman JoAnn Emerson.