Ned McWherter

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Ned McWherter (1988)

Ned Ray McWherter (born October 15, 1930 in Palmersville , Weakley County , Tennessee , †  April 4, 2011 in Nashville , Tennessee) was an American politician ( Democratic Party ) and governor of the state of Tennessee from 1987 to 1995 .

Early years and political advancement

Young Ned McWherter was raised on a farm in Dresden , Tennessee during the Depression of the 1930s , where he attended public schools. In 1948 he became a member of the National Guard . By his departure in 1969, he had made it to the position of captain . In 1968 he was elected to the Tennessee House of Representatives as representative of Weakley County . There he quickly gained a good reputation for his behavior and integrity. As early as 1973 he was President of Parliament ( Speaker ). He held this office continuously until 1987. This is the longest continuous tenure of a speaker in Tennessee. In this capacity, he made sure that minorities were also taken into account when filling offices in parliament. He appointed the first African American to chair a committee and saw women rise to leadership positions in parliament. All meetings were made public and the documents were also made available to the public. In the 1980s he supported Governor Lamar Alexander in his educational and judicial reforms as well as in the expansion of the road network.

Governor of Tennessee

In 1986 McWherter was nominated by his party as a candidate for governor. In the election, he managed to beat ex-Governor Winfield Dunn . Four years later he was re-elected, which earned him a total of eight years in office. During this time, he ensured a balanced budget, which has even been recognized several times at national level. He cut unnecessary bureaucracy and promoted the further expansion of the education system. His health care reform was a huge success and was subsequently adopted by several other states.

Further life

After resigning from office in 1995, he was a temporary advisor to President Bill Clinton . This appointed him in 1995 to the supervisory board of the United States Postal Service , in which McWherter remained until the end of his life. The Lambuth University , as its curator, he acted, named an award after him.

His son Mike was a Democratic candidate for governorship in Tennessee in 2010 , but was defeated by Republican Bill Haslam .

literature

  • Governors of the American States, Commonwealths and Territories. National Governors Association, 1994.

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