Jim Sasser facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jim Sasser
|
|
|---|---|
Official portrait, c. 1986
|
|
| 6th United States Ambassador to China | |
| In office February 14, 1996 – July 1, 1999 |
|
| President | Bill Clinton |
| Preceded by | J. Stapleton Roy |
| Succeeded by | Joseph Prueher |
| United States Senator from Tennessee |
|
| In office January 3, 1977 – January 3, 1995 |
|
| Preceded by | Bill Brock |
| Succeeded by | Bill Frist |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
James Ralph Sasser
September 30, 1936 Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Died | September 10, 2024 (aged 87) Chapel Hill, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Mary Gorman
(m. 1962) |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | University of Tennessee Vanderbilt University (BA, LLB) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  U.S. Marine Corps |
| Years of service | 1957–1963 |
| Unit | Reserves |
James Ralph Sasser (born September 30, 1936 – died September 10, 2024) was an American politician, diplomat, and lawyer. He was a member of the Democratic Party. Sasser served as a United States senator for Tennessee for three terms, from 1977 to 1995. He also led the Senate Budget Committee. Later, from 1996 to 1999, he was the United States Ambassador to China during the time Bill Clinton was president.
Contents
Early Life and Education
James Ralph Sasser was born in Memphis, Tennessee, on September 30, 1936. He grew up in Nashville and finished Hillsboro High School in 1954. He went to the University of Tennessee for a year.
He then earned his first degree from Vanderbilt University in 1958. He continued his studies there and received his law degree from the Vanderbilt University Law School in 1961. After becoming a lawyer in 1961, he started practicing law in Nashville.
From 1957 to 1963, Sasser served in the United States Marine Corps Reserves. This was a part-time military service.
Sasser was very active in the Democratic Party for a long time. He even managed Albert Gore Sr.'s campaign in 1970. As a lawyer, Sasser decided to run for office himself. In 1976, he won his party's chance to run for the U.S. Senate. He beat several other candidates, including John Jay Hooker.
Senate Elections
1976 Senate Race
After winning his party's nomination, Sasser focused on the record of the current Senator, Bill Brock. Sasser pointed out Brock's connections to former President Richard M. Nixon. He also highlighted that Brock, despite being very wealthy, had paid very little in income taxes the year before. Sasser argued that this was unfair, as many regular Tennesseans paid more in taxes.
Former Senator Gore also helped Sasser's campaign a lot. Sasser won against Brock and began his first term in the Senate. He would go on to serve three terms.
Winning Re-election in 1982 and 1988
In 1982, Sasser easily won re-election against U.S. Representative Robin Beard. His victory was so strong that in 1988, his Republican opponent was a lesser-known candidate named Bill Andersen. Andersen's campaign did not have much money or support, so Sasser won easily again.
1994 Re-election Challenge
In 1994, two unexpected things made Sasser's re-election difficult. Some voters in Tennessee were unhappy with the first two years of President Bill Clinton's administration. This included a proposed national health-care system and a new gun law called the Federal Assault Weapons Ban.
The other unexpected event was the nomination of Bill Frist by the Republicans. Frist was a heart transplant surgeon from Nashville. He was new to politics and campaigning. However, he came from a well-known and wealthy medical family in Nashville. This gave him name recognition and enough money to run a strong campaign against Sasser.
Another factor was that Fred Thompson, an actor and lawyer, was also running for Tennessee's other Senate seat at the same time. Frist benefited from Thompson's popularity. Sasser was not known for having a very exciting personality. In a big surprise victory, Frist defeated Sasser by about 14 percentage points. Sasser was one of only two senators to lose re-election that year. As of 2024, Jim Sasser is the last Democrat to have been a U.S. Senator from Tennessee.
Senate Achievements
When Senator Lawton Chiles retired in 1989, Sasser became the leader of the Senate Budget Committee. In this role, he worked closely with the Senate Majority Leader, George J. Mitchell. Sasser helped create a budget agreement with President George H. W. Bush in 1990.
In 1993, he helped pass President Bill Clinton's first budget. This budget aimed to reduce the national debt by $500 billion over 10 years. It passed without any Republican votes.
Because of these successes, Sasser was becoming more important in his party. Many people thought he would become the Senate Majority Leader if he had won a fourth term.
Ambassador to China
After leaving the Senate, Sasser became the U.S. ambassador to China. This was a time when there were concerns about possible nuclear spying and questions about China's influence on U.S. politics.
Sasser gained media attention again when the U.S. Embassy in Beijing was surrounded by protesters. This happened after U.S. warplanes accidentally bombed the Chinese embassy in Belgrade during the Kosovo War. Shortly after the protest ended, Ambassador Sasser retired and returned to the United States. He had planned to retire before the protest, so it was not the reason he left.
Later Career
After serving as ambassador, Sasser worked as a consultant in Tennessee and Washington, D.C. He also gave lectures at George Washington University. Later, he became a professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Personal Life and Death
Jim Sasser married Mary Gorman in 1962. They had two children together. He passed away from a heart attack at his home in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, on September 10, 2024. He was 87 years old.
