Researching William Stevenson

His 1976 book A Man Called Intrepid was about William Stephenson (no relation) and was a best-seller. It was made into a 1979 mini-series starring David Niven. Stevenson followed it in 1983 with another book, Intrepid's Last Case. He published his autobiography in 2012.

In 1976 Stevenson released the book, 90 Minutes at Entebbe.It was about Operation Entebbe, an operation where Israeli commandos landed at night at Entebbe Airport in Uganda and succeeded in rescuing the passengers of an airliner hi-jacked by Palestinian militants, while incurring very few casualties. Stevenson's "instant book" was written, edited, printed and available for sale within weeks of the event it described.

Born in what is now Loray, near Statesville, North Carolina, Stevenson attended the public schools and was tutored by his father.He was a teacher in the public schools in 1879 and 1880.He was graduated from Davidson College, Davidson, North Carolina, in 1885.He again engaged in teaching in Cheraw, South Carolina from 1885 to 1887, studying law at the same time.He was admitted to the bar in 1887 and commenced practice in Chesterfield, South Carolina, the same year.He moved to Cheraw in 1892 and continued the practice of law.He served as member of the Democratic executive committee of Chesterfield County 1888-1914, serving as chairman 1896-1902.He served as mayor of Cheraw in 1895 and 1896.He served as member of the State house of representatives 1897-1902, serving as speaker 1900-1902.He declined to be a candidate for reelection.He was interested in various business enterprises in Chesterfield County.He served as district counsel for the Seaboard Air Line Railway 1900-1917.He served as member of the Democratic State executive committee 1901-1942.He served as general counsel for the State dispensary commission 1907-1911.He was again a member of the state house of representatives 1911-1914.

Stevenson was elected as a Democrat to the Sixty-fifth Congress, by special election, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of United States Representative-elect David E. Finley, and reelected to the seven succeeding Congresses (February 21, 1917 – March 3, 1933).He was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1932 to the Seventy-third Congress.He served as member of the Federal Home Loan Bank Board from 1933 to 1939, serving as chairman in 1933.He died in Washington, D.C., on February 12, 1942.He was interred in St. David's Episcopal Church Cemetery, Cheraw, South Carolina.

Born in Durham, England, he studied at Christ's College, Cambridge, where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1553, his Master of Arts degree in 1560 and his Bachelor of Divinity degree, also in 1560. Account books at Christ's College list him in 1550–1553 and again in 1559–1560 as involved in putting on plays, though they do not mention Gammer Gurton's Needle explicitly. He became a prebend at Durham Cathedral in 1561.

Famous quotation: "I am so wrapped, and throughly lapped of jolly good ale and old!" Gammer Gurton’s Needle: Drinking Song (attributed to Stevenson and to Still).

He was born to one of the oldest English families on Jamaica. He was the son of William James Stevenson of Kingston. His mother (née James) was descended from Colonel Richard James, who was the first person born of English parents in British Jamaica. Stevenson's grandmother (née Lawrence) was descended from Henry Lawrence, President of Cromwell's Council of State, whose son founded a plantation in Jamaica in the 17th century.

Stevenson was a barrister. He first served as superintendent of British Honduras from 1854–1857 before being appointed Governor of Mauritius in May 1857.

He was invested as a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in 1862.

He married a Miss Allwood, and had a son, William Lawrence Stevenson, and a daughter, who married Colonel Sir Francis Marindin. His second wife was Caroline Octavia Biscoe, and their son was Francis Seymour Stevenson, M.P.

He died of dysentery in 1863.