Sam Nunn facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sam Nunn
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Nunn, around 2020
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| Chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee | |
| In office January 3, 1987 – January 3, 1995 |
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| Preceded by | Barry Goldwater |
| Succeeded by | Strom Thurmond |
| United States Senator from Georgia |
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| In office November 8, 1972 – January 3, 1997 |
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| Preceded by | David Gambrell |
| Succeeded by | Max Cleland |
| Member of the Georgia House of Representatives from the 41st district, Post 1 |
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| In office January 13, 1969 – November 8, 1972 |
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| Preceded by | Glenn Phillips |
| Succeeded by | Guy Hill |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Samuel Augustus Nunn Jr.
September 8, 1938 Macon, Georgia, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Colleen O'Brien
(m. 1965) |
| Children | 2, including Michelle |
| Education | |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Coast Guard |
| Years of service | 1959–1968 |
| Unit | United States Coast Guard Reserve |
Samuel Augustus Nunn Jr. (born September 8, 1938) is an American politician who served as a United States Senator from Georgia for 25 years, from 1972 to 1997. He was a member of the Democratic Party.
After retiring from the Senate, Nunn co-founded the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI). This is a non-profit group that works to reduce the danger of nuclear, biological, and other major threats to the world. Because of his experience with national defense, he was considered as a possible vice-presidential candidate for both John Kerry and Barack Obama.
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Early Life and Education
Sam Nunn was born in Macon, Georgia. His father, Samuel Augustus Nunn, was a lawyer and the mayor of Perry, Georgia, where Sam grew up. His grand-uncle was Carl Vinson, a famous U.S. Congressman.
As a young man, Nunn was an Eagle Scout, the highest rank in the Boy Scouts of America. He was also a great athlete in high school and was the captain of his school's basketball team when they won the state championship.
Nunn started college at the Georgia Tech in 1956. He later transferred to Emory University, where he earned a degree in 1961. He then went to Emory University School of Law and graduated with a law degree in 1962.
Career Before Politics
After college, Nunn served on active duty in the United States Coast Guard. He then served for six years in the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve.
He returned to his hometown of Perry, Georgia, to work as a lawyer and manage his family's farm. He also became the president of the Perry Chamber of Commerce, a group that supports local businesses.
A Long Career in Politics
Nunn began his political career in 1968 when he was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives. In 1972, he won a seat in the United States Senate. He served as a senator for Georgia for four terms before retiring in 1997. He said he was retiring because he no longer had the "zest and enthusiasm" for the job.
Work in the U.S. Senate
During his time in the Senate, Nunn was the chairman of two important committees: the U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services and the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. He was known as an expert on defense and foreign policy.
One of his biggest achievements was the Goldwater-Nichols Act. He worked on this law with Senator Barry Goldwater. The act changed how the Department of Defense is organized to make it more effective.
He also created the Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction Program with Senator Richard Lugar. This program helped Russia and other countries that were once part of the Soviet Union to safely get rid of their extra nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons. The program successfully deactivated more than 7,600 nuclear warheads.
Political Views
Nunn was known as a moderate-to-conservative Democrat. This means he sometimes agreed with his own party and sometimes agreed with the Republican Party. For example, he voted for school prayer and for a law that would require the government to have a balanced budget.
On other topics, like protecting the environment and gun control, his views were more liberal. He also consistently voted to allow more immigration into the United States. One of his most famous votes was when he voted against the Gulf War in 1991.
In the 1990s, Nunn was involved in the debate about whether gay people should be allowed to serve openly in the military. He helped create the policy known as "Don't ask, don't tell" as a compromise. In 2008, he said that after 15 years, it was a good time to study the issue again.
Mission to Haiti
In 1994, President Bill Clinton asked Nunn, former President Jimmy Carter, and General Colin Powell to go on a special mission to Haiti. At the time, Haiti was ruled by a military dictator named Raoul Cédras.
President Clinton wanted the dictator to step down so that the country's elected president could return to power. The U.S. sent a large military force to the area. Just before the troops arrived, the delegation led by Carter, Nunn, and Powell convinced Cédras to leave the country peacefully. This prevented a military conflict. President Clinton praised the team for their successful mission.
Life After Congress
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After leaving the Senate, Nunn has stayed very active in public life. In 2001, he co-founded the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) with businessman Ted Turner. Nunn served as its CEO for many years and is now its co-chair. The NTI works to make the world safer from nuclear and biological weapons.
Nunn is also a professor at the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs at Georgia Tech, which was named in his honor. He is also involved with the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a research group in Washington, D.C.
Working for a World Without Nuclear Weapons
Nunn has worked with other famous leaders like Henry Kissinger and George Shultz to promote the idea of a world free of nuclear weapons. They wrote articles and appeared in a documentary film called Nuclear Tipping Point to share their ideas.
Nunn has often said that he is more worried about a terrorist group getting a nuclear weapon than a war between countries that have them. He believes the world has changed and new steps are needed to keep everyone safe.
In 2019, the U.S. Navy announced that a new warship, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, would be named the USS Sam Nunn in his honor.
Personal Life
Sam Nunn is married to Colleen O'Brien. They met in Paris, France, while she was working for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). They have two children, Michelle and Brian. His daughter, Michelle Nunn, is the CEO of the relief agency CARE and ran for the U.S. Senate in 2014.
Nunn is a member of the Augusta National Golf Club. In 2002, the club faced pressure to allow women to become members. At the time, it was an all-male club.
Awards and Honors
- In 1990, Georgia Tech named its school of international affairs after him.
- In 1996, he received the U.S. Senator John Heinz Award for great public service.
- In 2004, he and Senator Richard Lugar won the Heinz Award Chairman's Medal.
- In 2011, he was named a Georgia Trustee by the Georgia Historical Society.
- In 2013, he received the Knight Commander of the Order of Merit from Germany.
- In 2014, he received the Lone Sailor Award from the U.S. Navy Veterans Memorial.
See also
- Anti-nuclear movement
- International Conference on Nuclear Disarmament
