William L. Armstrong

William L. Armstrong
Born	William Lester Armstrong Jr. (1937-03-16) 16 March 1937 Fremont, Nebraska, U.S.
Died	5 July 2016(2016-07-05) (aged 79) Colorado, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Entrepreneur, public official, legislator, university president
Years active	1950s–2016
Known for	U.S. Senator from Colorado; President of Colorado Christian University

William Lester Armstrong Jr. (March 16, 1937 – July 5, 2016) was an American entrepreneur, public official, and legislator. Affiliated with the Republican Party, he represented Colorado as both a United States representative and later as a Senator.

Early life and career

Born in Fremont, Nebraska, Armstrong completed his education at Lincoln Northeast High School. He was the son of William Lester Armstrong and Dorothy Steen Armstrong. His family background included a Presbyterian minister grandfather on his mother's side and a great-great-uncle, Alexander Majors, who was a co-founder of the Pony Express and associated express enterprises.

Professional career

Armstrong’s passion for radio emerged early; by age eleven, he was hosting a weekend program on a local Fremont station. Following high school graduation, he joined KOWH in Omaha under Todd Storz, an innovator of the Top 40 radio format. He later moved to WTIX in New Orleans, becoming the nation’s first teenage Top 40 disc jockey. After a brief period at Tulane University, Armstrong relocated to Minneapolis in 1956 to work at WDGY, where he advanced rapidly to become Program Director at just twenty years old. Between 1957 and 1963, he served as a First Lieutenant in the Colorado Army National Guard.

In 1959, Armstrong acquired KOSI-AM in Aurora, Colorado (renamed KEZW in 1981), and launched KOSI-FM in 1968. He maintained ownership of both stations for twenty-five years before divesting them. Additionally, Armstrong held the presidency of Ambassador Media, which operated KPVI television in Pocatello, Idaho, along with its satellite outlets KKVI in Twin Falls, Idaho, and KJVI in Jackson, Wyoming.

Political career

Armstrong wed Ellen M. Eaton in 1962 and that same year became the youngest individual elected to the Colorado House of Representatives, serving one term. From 1964 to 1972, he was a member of the Colorado State Senate, where he held the position of Senate President for two terms. In 1972, Armstrong secured election to the U.S. Congress representing Colorado's fifth district and was subsequently reelected twice.

In 1978, Armstrong captured a seat in the U.S. Senate by defeating former astronaut Jack Swigert in the Republican primary and unseating Democratic incumbent Floyd Haskell in the general election. After winning reelection in 1984, he served twelve years with a legislative focus on banking, financial regulation, and budgetary matters. He played a key role in implementing inflation indexing for personal income tax brackets, earning commendation from Majority Leader Bob Dole as “the father of tax indexing.” Armstrong also championed making GI Bill benefits permanent and sponsored the resolution that proclaimed 1983 as the “Year of the Bible.”

In 1983, he chaired the Senate Finance Subcommittee on Social Security and participated on the National Commission on Social Security Reform. He opposed the commission’s final recommendations due to their failure to raise the retirement age—a position that influenced subsequent legislation. Armstrong advocated for defense initiatives addressing Soviet missile threats and contributed to welfare reforms by supporting the Family Support Act 1988, which introduced work requirements and enhanced child support enforcement.

Among his legislative accomplishments was introducing the Korean War Veterans Memorial Act in 1985 to authorize a privately funded memorial. He helped generate over $22 million through commemorative coin sales to fund this project. His final Senate bill before retiring in 1990 authorized this commemorative coin issue. Armstrong opposed congressional salary increases and sponsored a significant soil conservation provision known as the "Sodbuster bill," incorporated into the 1985 Farm Bill.

He served as chairman of the Republican Policy Committee during the 99th through 101st Congress sessions but opted not to run for reelection in 1990. Throughout 1986, there was ongoing speculation regarding his potential candidacy for president in 1988.

Faith

During the 1970s, Armstrong experienced a spiritual transformation that led to a stronger commitment to Evangelical Christianity, which significantly influenced both his public persona and political career. He asserted that his roles as a Christian and a politician were not mutually exclusive, shaping his leadership style and policy decisions.

In 1982, Armstrong held the position of general chairman for the National Prayer Breakfast and later shared the keynote platform with President Ronald Reagan in 1988. His involvement extended to numerous Christian organizations such as the Family Channel, Christian Businessmen's Committee, Trinity Forum, Christian Embassy, The Calling, and Charles Colson's Prison Ministries. Furthermore, he contributed fifteen years of service on the Board of Directors for Campus Crusade for Christ.

Armstrong’s religious convictions were central to his political identity; he frequently facilitated Bible study sessions and prayer gatherings, earning the trust of peers seeking counsel in both legislative matters and spiritual guidance. Throughout his career, he integrated conservative political views with evangelical values, considering his faith inseparable from his public service.

Family

Armstrong and his spouse were parents to two children: Wil Armstrong and Anne Sellman. He passed away from cancer in 2016 at the age of 79.

Academic career

At the time of his passing, Armstrong was serving as President of Colorado Christian University, a position he had held since 2006. His tenure focused on promoting Christian principles, including endorsing the establishment of “The Calling” ministry in 2010. Although he received eight honorary degrees over his lifetime, Armstrong did not complete a traditional college education.

External links

• govtrack.us: Sen. William Armstrong
• Colorado Christian University: Greetings from the President

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