About Bill Barker :

Bill Barker is known as the quintessential Thomas Jefferson. His resemblance to Jefferson is uncanny and his knowledge of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution is second to none. Portraying Thomas Jefferson, Barker lectures sans script on any subject relating to the founding father. Barker has portrayed Thomas Jefferson with the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation since 1993 where he helps create Jefferson programs. An historical scholar and professional actor, Barker not only embodies Jefferson, he becomes him.

Meeting Bill Barker is as close as you can get to meeting Thomas Jefferson. For the last 23 years, Barker has been committed to a realistic interpretation of our nation's third President -- watching him in action is almost hard to believe. He is the same height, weight, coloring and general appearance as Mr. Jefferson. His familiarity with the man is unmatched. If you didn’t know Thomas Jefferson died almost two centuries ago, you might mistake Bill Barker for the real author of the Declaration of Independence.
 
Widely acclaimed as the nation’s best Jefferson interpreter, Bill Barker regularly receives glowing reviews and testimonials from his audiences. Since 1993, Barker has delivered his portrayal for the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, leaving many visitors of Colonial Williamsburg feeling as though they were in the presence of one of our Founding Fathers.
 
Over the years, Barker has developed a number of different programs tailored to academia, the corporate world, social societies, government audiences and young schoolchildren. The depth of his knowledge allows him to adapt to nearly any situation without missing a beat – any question an audience member asks, Barker has Jefferson’s answer ready as though it were his own.
 
Barker has appeared in programs aired on every major network, PBS, CNN, The History Channel and C-SPAN. He has been officially commended by the City of Philadelphia, The City of St. Louis, The City of New Orleans and The Hellenic Ideals Foundation for his historic interpretations.
 
There is a great energy in portraying Thomas Jefferson, Barker says, especially when the subject turns to religion, politics or foreign affairs. Barker is quick to point out that we are still having many of the same debates today that we did during Jefferson’s time. His ability to connect today’s world with the lessons of one of the world’s most influential historical persons makes his interpretation particularly compelling.
 
Barker has dedicated his adult life to educating the public about Jefferson and his ideas, life and legacy through first person interpretation, and he will certainly enlighten and entertain any audience he encounters.
 
Speaking Topics

•    Anything relating to Thomas Jefferson, Constitution, Leadership; Declaration of Independence; the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom
•    Business, academic, social and many other adaptations of his Thomas Jefferson interpretation