Jesse Alexander Helms

Helms, Jesse Alexander (1921– ) U.S. senator from North Carolina. Elected in 1973, he is known for his controversial bill denying a woman's right to seek an abortion during any time in her pregnancy. Other bills he has sponsored include those which support prayer in the public schools and prohibit school busing to achieve racial balance. In 1989–90 he promoted a stipulation to appropriation bills for the National Endowment for the Arts prohibiting funding of “obscene” art.