LAMAR ALEXANDER
Name: Andrew Lamar Alexander
Born: 3 July 1940 Maryville, Tennessee
Andrew Lamar Alexander (born July 3, 1940) is the senior United States Senator
from Tennessee and a member of the Republican Party. He was previously the 45th
Governor of Tennessee from 1979 to 1987, U.S. Secretary of Education from 1991
to 1993 under President George H.W. Bush and candidate for the Republican
Presidential nomination in 1996 and 2000.
Alexander was born in Maryville, Tennessee (outside of Knoxville), where he was
raised, to Genevra Floreine Rankin and Andrew Lamar Alexander. In high school
he was elected Governor of Tennessee Boys State. Alexander graduated with a B.A.
from Vanderbilt University where he was a member of Sigma Chi Fraternity in 1962
and from the New York University School of Law in 1965. After graduating from
law school, Alexander clerked for United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth
Circuit judge John Minor Wisdom in New Orleans from 1965 to 1966.
Alexander married Leslee "Honey" Buhler in 1969. They had met during a softball
game for Senate staff members; he was then a staffer for Senator Howard Baker of
Tennessee while she worked for Senator John Tower of Texas. Together they have
four children: Drew, Leslee, Kathryn, and Will.
He is also a classical and country pianist. Alexander got to put these talents
on display in April 2007 when he played piano on singer Patti Page's re-recording
of her 1950 hit "Tennessee Waltz." He appeared on the record, due out for
release in the summer of 2007, at the invitation of record executive Mike Curb.
Alexander and Page then performed the song live at an April 4 fundraiser for his
Senatorial re-election campaign in Nashville's Schermerhorn Symphony Center.
In 1967, Alexander worked as a legislative assistant for Senator Howard Baker.
While a staffer, he was briefly roommates with future U.S. Senator Trent Lott.
In 1969, he worked for Bryce Harlow, President Nixon's executive assistant.
In 1970 he moved back to Tennessee, serving as campaign manager for Memphis
dentist Winfield Dunn's successful gubernatorial bid.
Thanks to his successful tenure as Dunn's campaign manager, Alexander received
the Republican nomination for governor of Tennessee in 1974. He faced Democrat
Ray Blanton, a former congressman and unsuccessful 1972 Senate candidate.
Blanton attacked Alexander for his service under Nixon, who had resigned in
disgrace several months earlier. He also portrayed Alexander as being too
distant from average Tennesseeans, even though Alexander was the son of teachers.
Blanton would win the election 56%-44%.
In 1977, Alexander once again worked in Senator Baker's Washington office
following Baker's election as Senate Minority Leader.
Even though the Tennessee State Constitution had been amended in early 1978 to
allow a governor to succeed himself, Blanton chose not to seek re-election, due
to a number of scandals. Alexander once again ran for governor, and made a name
for himself by walking 1,000 miles (1,600 km) across the state wearing a red and
black plaid shirt. He defeated Knoxville banker Jake Butcher in the November
election.
In early 1979, a furor ensued over pardons made by Blanton that appeared to be
made out of pure politics; some of them smacked of bribery. Since the state
constitution is somewhat vague on when a governor must be sworn in, several
political leaders from both parties, including Lieutenant Governor John S.
Wilder and State House Speaker Ned McWherter, arranged for Alexander to be sworn
in three days earlier than the traditional inauguration day. Wilder later
called the move "impeachment Tennessee-style." Soon after being sworn in,
Alexander ordered the state Highway Patrol to seize control of the state capitol
to prevent any maneuvers by Blanton to regain office.
Alexander made history by becoming the first Tennessee governor reelected to a
second 4-year term by defeating Knoxville mayor Randy Tyree in the 1982 election,
carrying almost 70% of Knox County. During his second term, he served as
chairman of the National Governors Association from 1985 to 1986. After opting
out of the 1984 U.S. Senate contest for the open seat of retiring Majority
Leader Howard Baker, Alexander was constitutionally ineligible for a third term
and stepped down from the governorship in January 1987.
Moving with his family to Australia for a time, he would soon return to
Tennessee and became the president of the University of Tennessee (1988–1991),
and United States Secretary of Education (1991–1993).
In 1987, he helped found Corporate Child Care Management, Inc. (now known as
Bright Horizons Family Solutions Inc.), a company that -- via a merger -- is now
the nation's largest provider of worksite day care. In his 2005 U.S. Senate
financial disclosure report, he listed personal ownership of BFAM (Bright
Horizons Family Solutions) stock valued (at that time) between $1 million and $5
million dollars.
He taught about the American character as a faculty member at Harvard University's
Kennedy School of Government.
He also made two unsuccessful runs for President of the United States, in the
1996 and 2000 election cycles. In 1996, he finished third in both the Iowa
caucus and New Hampshire Primary and dropped out before the Super Tuesday
primaries. After dropping out of the race, Alexander took an advisory role in
the Dole/Kemp campaign. His second candidacy, in which he traveled around the
U.S. in a Ford Explorer, eschewing a campaign bus or plane, lasted less than six
months, being announced March 9, 1999, and withdrawn August 16, 1999 (after a
poor showing in the Ames Straw Poll), both times in Nashville. An article in
The New York Times during this period comments that Alexander's "bitter belief
that party's nominating process is being short-circuited by big money and big
media has become [his] consuming preoccupation," referring to the Republican
Party.
Name: Andrew Lamar Alexander
Born: 3 July 1940 Maryville, Tennessee
Andrew Lamar Alexander (born July 3, 1940) is the senior United States Senator
from Tennessee and a member of the Republican Party. He was previously the 45th
Governor of Tennessee from 1979 to 1987, U.S. Secretary of Education from 1991
to 1993 under President George H.W. Bush and candidate for the Republican
Presidential nomination in 1996 and 2000.
Alexander was born in Maryville, Tennessee (outside of Knoxville), where he was
raised, to Genevra Floreine Rankin and Andrew Lamar Alexander. In high school
he was elected Governor of Tennessee Boys State. Alexander graduated with a B.A.
from Vanderbilt University where he was a member of Sigma Chi Fraternity in 1962
and from the New York University School of Law in 1965. After graduating from
law school, Alexander clerked for United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth
Circuit judge John Minor Wisdom in New Orleans from 1965 to 1966.
Alexander married Leslee "Honey" Buhler in 1969. They had met during a softball
game for Senate staff members; he was then a staffer for Senator Howard Baker of
Tennessee while she worked for Senator John Tower of Texas. Together they have
four children: Drew, Leslee, Kathryn, and Will.
He is also a classical and country pianist. Alexander got to put these talents
on display in April 2007 when he played piano on singer Patti Page's re-recording
of her 1950 hit "Tennessee Waltz." He appeared on the record, due out for
release in the summer of 2007, at the invitation of record executive Mike Curb.
Alexander and Page then performed the song live at an April 4 fundraiser for his
Senatorial re-election campaign in Nashville's Schermerhorn Symphony Center.
In 1967, Alexander worked as a legislative assistant for Senator Howard Baker.
While a staffer, he was briefly roommates with future U.S. Senator Trent Lott.
In 1969, he worked for Bryce Harlow, President Nixon's executive assistant.
In 1970 he moved back to Tennessee, serving as campaign manager for Memphis
dentist Winfield Dunn's successful gubernatorial bid.
Thanks to his successful tenure as Dunn's campaign manager, Alexander received
the Republican nomination for governor of Tennessee in 1974. He faced Democrat
Ray Blanton, a former congressman and unsuccessful 1972 Senate candidate.
Blanton attacked Alexander for his service under Nixon, who had resigned in
disgrace several months earlier. He also portrayed Alexander as being too
distant from average Tennesseeans, even though Alexander was the son of teachers.
Blanton would win the election 56%-44%.
In 1977, Alexander once again worked in Senator Baker's Washington office
following Baker's election as Senate Minority Leader.
Even though the Tennessee State Constitution had been amended in early 1978 to
allow a governor to succeed himself, Blanton chose not to seek re-election, due
to a number of scandals. Alexander once again ran for governor, and made a name
for himself by walking 1,000 miles (1,600 km) across the state wearing a red and
black plaid shirt. He defeated Knoxville banker Jake Butcher in the November
election.
In early 1979, a furor ensued over pardons made by Blanton that appeared to be
made out of pure politics; some of them smacked of bribery. Since the state
constitution is somewhat vague on when a governor must be sworn in, several
political leaders from both parties, including Lieutenant Governor John S.
Wilder and State House Speaker Ned McWherter, arranged for Alexander to be sworn
in three days earlier than the traditional inauguration day. Wilder later
called the move "impeachment Tennessee-style." Soon after being sworn in,
Alexander ordered the state Highway Patrol to seize control of the state capitol
to prevent any maneuvers by Blanton to regain office.
Alexander made history by becoming the first Tennessee governor reelected to a
second 4-year term by defeating Knoxville mayor Randy Tyree in the 1982 election,
carrying almost 70% of Knox County. During his second term, he served as
chairman of the National Governors Association from 1985 to 1986. After opting
out of the 1984 U.S. Senate contest for the open seat of retiring Majority
Leader Howard Baker, Alexander was constitutionally ineligible for a third term
and stepped down from the governorship in January 1987.
Moving with his family to Australia for a time, he would soon return to
Tennessee and became the president of the University of Tennessee (1988–1991),
and United States Secretary of Education (1991–1993).
In 1987, he helped found Corporate Child Care Management, Inc. (now known as
Bright Horizons Family Solutions Inc.), a company that -- via a merger -- is now
the nation's largest provider of worksite day care. In his 2005 U.S. Senate
financial disclosure report, he listed personal ownership of BFAM (Bright
Horizons Family Solutions) stock valued (at that time) between $1 million and $5
million dollars.
He taught about the American character as a faculty member at Harvard University's
Kennedy School of Government.
He also made two unsuccessful runs for President of the United States, in the
1996 and 2000 election cycles. In 1996, he finished third in both the Iowa
caucus and New Hampshire Primary and dropped out before the Super Tuesday
primaries. After dropping out of the race, Alexander took an advisory role in
the Dole/Kemp campaign. His second candidacy, in which he traveled around the
U.S. in a Ford Explorer, eschewing a campaign bus or plane, lasted less than six
months, being announced March 9, 1999, and withdrawn August 16, 1999 (after a
poor showing in the Ames Straw Poll), both times in Nashville. An article in
The New York Times during this period comments that Alexander's "bitter belief
that party's nominating process is being short-circuited by big money and big
media has become [his] consuming preoccupation," referring to the Republican
Party.