William Clarence "Bill" Mescher (September 5, 1927 – April 8, 2007) was a Republican politician from South Carolina.

He was the first in his family to graduate from high school [1] and then benefitted from the GI Bill to go to college, having served as a US Army Staff Sergeant in World War II and Korea.

Mescher went on to become chief executive of utilities company Santee Corp., and headed his own management consultancy practice.

Shirley's death from lung cancer inspired Senator Mescher's campaign to legalise medical marijuana.

[5] In 2007, Mescher gained media attention when he proposed a bill to legalize medical marijuana in South Carolina.