Editing Bill Haslam (section)

==Early life, education, and business career==
Haslam was born in 1958 in Knoxville, Tennessee, the third child of [[Jim Haslam]], the founder of [[Pilot Company|Pilot Corporation]], the parent company of the convenience store and travel center chain, [[Pilot Flying J]], and his wife, Cynthia (Allen). Jim Haslam has been a Republican Party fundraiser and [[University of Tennessee]] donor and trustee for several decades.<ref name=flory16>{{cite news|last=Flory|first=Josh|date=January 16, 2011|title=Haslam Patriarch Started Making Mark on Knoxville as UT Student|url=http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/jan/16/jim-haslam-family-patriarch-started-making-mark-kn|work=[[Knoxville News Sentinel]]|access-date=September 22, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110117103434/http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/jan/16/jim-haslam-family-patriarch-started-making-mark-kn/|archive-date=2011-01-17}}</ref>

Haslam was educated at the [[Webb School of Knoxville]], where he became active in the Christian group [[Young Life]].<ref name=flory17>{{cite news|last=Flory|first=Josh|date=January 17, 2011|title=Work, loss and new joy: Death drew Haslams closer|url=http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/jan/17/work-loss-and-new-joy-death-drew-haslams-closer|work=Knoxville News-Sentinel|access-date=<!--Needed-->|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110118074924/http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/jan/17/work-loss-and-new-joy-death-drew-haslams-closer/|archive-date=2011-01-18}}</ref> He later attended [[Emory University]], graduating with a [[bachelor's degree]] in history in 1980.<ref name=bio>{{cite web|url=http://www.billhaslam.com/site/c.ieJPIWOtEnH/b.5438305/k.94CA/Bills_Biography.htm |title=Bill Haslam biography |access-date=2010-06-09 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100717131729/http://www.billhaslam.com/site/c.ieJPIWOtEnH/b.5438305/k.94CA/Bills_Biography.htm |archive-date=2010-07-17 }}</ref> He is a member of the Beta Chi chapter of the [[Sigma Chi]] International Fraternity.<ref name=flory18>{{cite news |first=Josh |last=Flory |url=http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/jan/18/growth-and-change-business-evolves-haslam-siblings |title=Growth and Change: As Business Evolves, Haslam Siblings Find Their Roles Within and Without It |newspaper=[[Knoxville News Sentinel]] |date=January 18, 2011 |access-date=September 22, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121015023921/http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/jan/18/growth-and-change-business-evolves-haslam-siblings/ |archive-date=October 15, 2012 }}</ref>

As a teenager, Haslam began working part-time in his father's corporation.<ref name=bio/> He had made plans to teach history and eventually become a minister.<ref name=flory18 /> Following his university graduation, he returned to Knoxville to work for Pilot in hopes of learning more about the business world before entering the [[seminary]], and eventually decided to stay with the company.<ref name=flory18 /> He was elevated to president of the company (with his brother, [[Jimmy Haslam|Jimmy]], as CEO, and father as chairman) in 1995.<ref name=flory18 />

In 1999, Haslam joined [[Saks Fifth Avenue]] as the chief executive officer of the [[e-commerce]] and catalog division.<ref name=citybio>[http://www.ci.knoxville.tn.us/mayor/bio.asp Mayor's biography] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041207153005/http://www.ci.knoxville.tn.us/mayor/bio.asp |date=December 7, 2004 }}, City of Knoxville website, accessed May 9, 2010</ref>  He left Saks in 2001, and joined the board of the Dallas-based clothing chain, [[Harold's|Harold's Stores Inc.]], later that year.<ref name=flory18 />

Haslam is one of the owners of the [[Tennessee Smokies]], a [[minor league baseball]] team in [[East Tennessee]].<ref name=citybio/> His brother, current [[Pilot Flying J]] CEO [[Jimmy Haslam]], became majority owner of the [[Cleveland Browns]] in 2012.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/news/story?id=3776644 |title=NFL approves Rooney's ownership plan |publisher=[[ESPN]] |date=2008-12-18 |access-date=2013-07-19}}</ref>