date ranges in charts

Hi. I have a list of names of board members that have served through various years (ex.: John Smith 1996-2000). I'd like a bar chart with the names on the x axis and the dates on the y axis (1996-2002) to show what years each member served. Two questions:

1. Is this possible?
2. What formula do I need to use for the date ranges?
3. How would I even create the chart (what colums I need, etc.)

I hope this makes sense and thanks in advance for your help.