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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 1996) 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.
Early life
He was born in Perry, Georgia, and already had a family connection with politics, being a grandnephew of the Congressman Carl Vinson.
Raised in the small town of Perry in middle Georgia, he attended Georgia Tech, Emory University and Emory Law School, where he graduated with honors in 1962. After active duty service in the U.S. 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.
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.
Political career
Nunn first entered politics as a member of the Georgia House of Representatives in 1968. He was elected to the United States Senate in 1972.
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, which provides assistance to Russia and the former Soviet republics for securing and destroying their excess nuclear, biological and chemical weapons. Although the committee which awards the Nobel Peace Prize does not reveal official nominees, both Nunn and Lugar have been mentioned several times as candidates for the award in the media circle *.
Over all Nunn was a moderately-conservative Democrat 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 Clinton's proposal to allow homosexuals to serve openly in the military. [http://www-tech.mit.edu/V113/N16/nunn.16w.htmlHe 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. On immigration, he consistently voted in favor of increased immigration.
Post-Congressional Public Service
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 a board member of the following publicly-held corporations: Chevron Corporation, The Coca-Cola Company, Dell Computer Corporation, General Electric Company, Internet Security Systems, Inc., and Scientific-Atlanta, Inc.
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 hoping to find a national airing of the film. 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, but the broadcast does not go so far as to overtly compare them with the founding fathers.
He is married to the former Colleen O'Brien and has two children, Michelle and Brian, and two grandchildren, Vinson Nunn Martin and Elizabeth Nunn Martin.
Quotation
- "Reducing the risk posed by weapons of mass destruction is not the agenda of one political party. It is a deeply held desire by leaders of vision and courage of every political stripe. We hope that others who are concerned about these issues will work with us on the large area of common ground that exists to find ways to reduce risks associated with these weapons."
External links
1938 births | Distinguished Eagle Scouts | Eagle Scouts | American Freemasons | Living people | Members of the Georgia House of Representatives | Phi Delta Theta brothers | Shriners | United States Senators from Georgia | General Electric people | Georgia (U.S. state) politicians
"Sam Nunn"