Dennis Michael Byars (August 23, 1940 – April 14, 2022) was an American politician who was a state senator in the

Nebraska Legislature The Nebraska Legislature (also called the Unicameral) is the legislative branch, legislature of the U.S. state of Nebraska. The Legislature meets at the Nebraska State Capitol in Lincoln, Nebraska, Lincoln. With 49 members, known as "senators ...

and director of Beatrice Community Hospital Foundation.

Personal life

Byars was born August 23, 1940, in

Beatrice, Nebraska Beatrice () is a city in and the county seat of Gage County, Nebraska, Gage County, Nebraska, United States. Its population was 12,261 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of cities in Nebraska, 15th most populous cit ...

, and graduated from Beatrice High School in 1958 and attended the

University of Nebraska A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...

. He served as a 1st lieutenant in the Nebraska Army National Guard. He has belonged to many groups dealing with people with

developmental disabilities Developmental disability is a diverse group of chronic conditions, comprising mental or physical impairments that arise before adulthood. Developmental disabilities cause individuals living with them many difficulties in certain areas of life, espe ...

and other Gage County, and Beatrice organizations. Byars served on the Beatrice School Board and on the

Gage County, Nebraska Gage County is a county in the U.S. state of Nebraska. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 21,704. Its county seat is Beatrice. The county was created in 1855 and organized in 1857. It was formed from land taken from the Ot ...

Board of Supervisors.Beatrice Public Schools-Dennis Byars
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State legislature

Byars was appointed on December 19, 1988, to replace Patricia S. Morehead, who had resigned. He was elected in 1990 to represent the 30th Nebraska legislative district but did not run in 1994. He ran and won in 1998 and 2002, and was the vice chairperson of both the Education and Health and Human Services committees while serving in this period. He was term limited out of office in 2007.

References

# 1940 births 2022 deaths Nebraska state senators County supervisors and commissioners in Nebraska School board members in Nebraska People from Beatrice, Nebraska Nebraska National Guard personnel 21st-century members of the Nebraska Legislature University of Nebraska–Lincoln alumni 20th-century members of the Nebraska Legislature {{Nebraska-politician-stub