Don Sundquist

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Don Sundquist (1993)

Donald Kenneth "Don" Sundquist (born March 15, 1936 in Moline , Illinois ) is an American politician and former governor of the state of Tennessee .

Early years and political advancement

Don Sundquist graduated from Augustana College in 1957 . For the next two years he was a marine in the US Navy . In 1962 he began his business career by joining a company that manufactured school supplies. In 1972 he founded his own company in Memphis , where he had since moved. It was a company active in the printing and advertising sector. At this time he began his political career as a member of the Republican Party . In this capacity, he supported Howard Baker in 1979 in his unsuccessful attempt to win the Republican nomination for the 1980 presidential election. From 1983 to 1995, Sundquist served on several committees in the United States House of Representatives .

Governor of Tennessee

In 1994, Sundquist was elected governor of Tennessee. Since he was re-elected in 1998, he was in office for a total of eight years. During this time, Tennessee saw a general economic boom. The governor put an emphasis on family policy. His family program improved the economic situation of many poorer families. During the eight years of his reign he managed to reduce the number of families in need of social assistance from around 70,000 to around 30,000. Also during his tenure, a nationwide health insurance covering all medical areas was offered for the first time . The public schools and libraries received internet access. He advocated the introduction of an income tax at the state level - a proposal that was highly controversial and caused the governor to lose some popularity. After two terms in office, he left office in 2003.

literature

  • Who's Who in America, 2005. New Providence, NJ: Marquis Who's Who, 2004

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Sundquist, Don
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Sundquist, Donald Kenneth (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American politician
DATE OF BIRTH March 15, 1936
PLACE OF BIRTH Moline , Illinois