Sam Nunn
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| Sam Nunn | |
| Image:Sam Nunn.jpg
| |
| In office November 8, 1972 – January 3, 1997 | |
| Preceded by | David H. Gambrell |
|---|---|
| Succeeded by | Max Cleland |
| Born | September 8 1938 Perry, Georgia |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Colleen O'Brien Nunn |
| Religion | Christian |
Samuel Augustus Nunn, Jr. (born September 8, 1938) is an American businessman and politician. Currently the co-chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NTI (Nuclear Threat Initiative), a charitable organization working to reduce the global threats from nuclear, biological and chemical weapons, Nunn served for twenty-four years as a United States Senator from Georgia (1972 until 1997) as a member of the Democratic Party. His political experience and strong credentials on national defense reportedly put him into consideration as a potential running mate for Democratic candidate John Kerry in the 2004 Presidential election. Recently, he has commented on the possibility of his running for President of the United States in the 2008 election as an independent candidate.[1]
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[edit] Early life
He was born in Macon, Georgia and raised in nearby Perry, and already had a family connection with politics, being a grandnephew of the Congressman Carl Vinson. Nunn attended Georgia Tech in 1956,[2] where he was initiated as a brother of Phi Delta Theta. He transferred to Emory University the next year and received his undergraduate degree in 1960.[2] He then received a degree from the Emory University School of Law in 1962.[2] After active duty service in the United States Coast Guard, he served six years in the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve.
Nunn is an Eagle Scout and recipient of the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award from the Boy Scouts of America.[3][4] In 1989, the Wall Street Journal reported that Nunn had a drunk driving conviction in his youth. The Journal reported this when Nunn opposed the confirmation of ex-Senator John Tower for Secretary of Defense due to Tower's alleged lack of sobriety.[citation needed]
[edit] Political career
Nunn first entered politics as a member of the Georgia House of Representatives in 1968.[2] He was elected to the United States Senate in 1972, defeating U.S. Sen. David H. Gambrell in the Democratic Primary and U.S. Rep. Fletcher Thompson in the general election. Nunn chose to retire from the Senate in 1996, offering a lack of "zest and enthusiasm" as justification, though analysts have offered the Democratic party's shift to the left as a major factor.[5]
During his tenure in the U.S. Senate, Senator Nunn served as chairman of the powerful U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services and the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. He also served on the Intelligence and Small Business Committees. His legislative achievements include the landmark Department of Defense Reorganization Act, drafted with the late Senator Barry Goldwater, and the Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction Program,[3] which provides assistance to Russia and the former Soviet republics for securing and destroying their excess nuclear, biological and chemical weapons. To date, the Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction program has deactivated more than 5,900 nuclear warheads. He was supposedly a top choice to be Secretary of Defense or State in 1992 and 1996 and in a prospective Gore cabinet in 2000.
Overall, Nunn was a moderate-to-conservative Democrat[6] who often broke with his party on a host of social and economic issues. He strongly opposed the budget bill of 1993, which included provisions to raise taxes in order to reduce the deficit. He was also vehement in his opposition to President Bill Clinton's proposal to allow homosexuals to serve openly in the military.[7][8] He voted in favor of school prayer, capping punitive damage awards, amending the U.S. Constitution to require a balanced budget, and limiting death penalty appeals. On certain issues like abortion, the environment, gun control, and affirmative action, Nunn took a more moderate line. He consistently voted in favor of increased immigration.[9] One of his most controversial votes was his vote against the Gulf War. [10]
[edit] Post-Congressional public service
| This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (December 2007) |
In addition to his work with NTI, Senator Nunn has continued his service in the public policy arena as a distinguished professor in the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs at Georgia Tech and as chairman of the board of the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C. Nunn also is a retired partner in the law firm of King & Spalding. He is an Advisory Board member for the Partnership for a Secure America, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to recreating the bipartisan center in American national security and foreign policy.
He is a board member of the following publicly held corporations: Chevron Corporation, The Coca-Cola Company, Dell Computer Corporation, General Electric Company.
In 2005, Nunn teamed up with former Senator Fred Thompson to promote a new film, Last Best Chance, on the dangers of excess nuclear weapons and materials. The film aired on HBO in October of 2005. He gave a full presentation outlining his goals at the Commonwealth Club of California. In the broadcast, subtle comparisons are made between Nunn's career as elder statesman and that of Jimmy Carter, noting that they are both from Georgia and both were farmers before launching their political careers.
He is married to the former Colleen O'Brien and has two children, Michelle and Brian.
[edit] Possible 2008 presidential campaign
On August 3, 2007, Nunn confirmed that he has had discussions with New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg about the current political climate. He also stated that he hasn't ruled out the possibility of declaring his own candidacy in the 2008 presidential election as an independent. However, Nunn indicated that he would decline any offers to run for Vice President by saying, "The only thing I would consider would be running for the big office." [11] On August 19, Nunn said he would not decide on a presidential bid until after the 2008 primary season, once the major parties have produced de facto nominees.[12]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Towery, Matt. "As Insider First Reported, Sam Nunn's Being Court For Independent Bid - And Now He Confirms Interest", InsiderAdvantage Georgia.
- ^ a b c d "A Conversation With Sam Nunn", Georgia Tech Alumni Magazine Online, Georgia Tech Alumni Association, Spring 1990. Retrieved on 2007-03-06.
- ^ a b Townley, Alvin (2006-12-26). Legacy of Honor: The Values and Influence of America's Eagle Scouts. New York: St. Martin's Press, pp. 121–122. ISBN 0-312-36653-1. Retrieved on 2006-12-29.
- ^ Distinguished Eagle Scouts. Troop & Pack 179. Retrieved on 2006-03-02.
- ^ Sack, Kevin (10 October, 1995), "Nunn, Model Southern Democrat, To Retire From Senate Next Year", The New York Times, <http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A0CE4DD1339F933A25753C1A963958260>. Retrieved on 31 December, 2007
- ^ Encyclopedia of World Biography on Sam Nunn, BookRags.com. Retrieved on 2007-10-25
- ^ "A Retreat on Gay Soldiers", New York Times, 1993-09-19. Retrieved on 2007-03-10.
- ^ Kasindorf, Martin. "[http://www-tech.mit.edu/V113/N16/nunn.16w.html A Plan for Military Gays; Nunn would keep them 'in the closet']", Newsday, 1993-03-30. Retrieved on 2007-03-10.
- ^ Immigration profile of:Sen. Sam Nunn (D-Georgia), NumbersUSA.com. Retrieved on 2007-10-25
- ^ Government & Politics:Sam Nunn, The New Georgia Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 2007-10-25
- ^ http://www.Townhall.com/news/politics-elections/2007/08/03/nunn_seeks_independent_candidate
- ^ Galloway, Jim (07-08-19), "Former Sen. Sam Nunn Weighs Run for White House", Atlanta Journal-Constitution, <http://www.ajc.com/news/content/news/stories/2007/08/18/nunn_0819_1.html#>
[edit] External links
- Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Voting record maintained by The Washington Post
- Sam Nunn at the CCC
| Preceded by David H. Gambrell | United States Senator (Class 2) from Georgia 1972 – 1997 Served alongside: Herman E. Talmadge, Mack F. Mattingly, Wyche Fowler, Jr., Paul Coverdell | Succeeded by Max Cleland |
| Preceded by Barry Goldwater Arizona | Chairman of Senate Armed Services Committee 1987–1995 | Succeeded by Strom Thurmond South Carolina |
United States Senators from Georgia | |
|---|---|
| Class 2: Few • Jackson • Walton • Tattnall • Baldwin • Jones • Crawford • Bulloch • Bibb • Troup • Forsyth • Walker • Ware • Cobb • Prince • Troup • King • Lumpkin • Berrien • Charlton • Toombs • H. Miller • Norwood • B. Hill • Barrow • A. Colquitt • Walsh • Bacon • West • Hardwick • Harris • Cohen • Russell • Gambrell • Nunn • Cleland • Chambliss Class 3: Gunn • Jackson • Milledge • Tait • Elliott • Berrien • Forsyth • Cuthbert • W. Colquitt • Johnson • Dawson • Iverson • J. Hill • Gordon • Brown • Gordon • Clay • Terrell • Smith • Watson • Felton • George • Talmadge • Mattingly • Fowler • Coverdell • Z. Miller • Isakson | Image:Senate cap.PNG |
Dell, Inc. | |
|---|---|
| Board of directors | Don Carty · Michael Dell · William H. Gray · Sallie Krawcheck · Alan Lafley · Judy Lewent · Tom Luce · Klaus Luft · Alex Mandl · Michael A. Miles · Sam Nunn |
| Desktop/Laptop Computers | OptiPlex · Dimension · Precision · XPS · Latitude · Inspiron · Vostro |
| Servers | PowerEdge · PowerVault · Dell/EMC |
| Other | Axim · Digital Jukebox (DJ) · Monitors · Dell On Call |
| Annual Revenue: Image:Green Arrow Up Darker.svg$56.74 billion USD (2006) · Employees: 90,400 (2006) · Stock Symbol: NASDAQ DELL · Website: dell.com | |
General Electric Co. | |
|---|---|
| Founders | |
| Corporate directors | James Cash, Jr. · William Castell · Ann Fudge · Claudio Gonzalez · Susan Hockfield · Jeffrey Immelt · Andrea Jung · Alan Lafley · Robert Lane · Ralph Larsen · Rochelle Lazarus · Sam Nunn · Roger Penske · Robert Swieringa · Douglas Warner · Bob Wright |
| Primary businesses | |
| Annual revenue Image:Green Arrow Up Darker.svg USD 163.391 billion (2006) Employees 316,000 (2005) Stock symbol NYSE: GE Website www.ge.com | |
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Nunn, Sam |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | |
| DATE OF BIRTH | September 8 1938 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Perry, Georgia |
| DATE OF DEATH | |
| PLACE OF DEATH | |
de:Sam Nunn no:Sam Nunn pl:Sam Nunn sv:Sam Nunn
Categories: All articles with unsourced statements | Articles with unsourced statements since June 2007 | Articles needing additional references from December 2007 | 1938 births | Living people | Members of the Georgia House of Representatives | United States Senators from Georgia (U.S. state) | General Electric people | Georgia Institute of Technology alumni | Chevron Corporation | Coca-Cola | Distinguished Eagle Scouts
