Sam Nunn
Sam Nunn | |
|---|---|
| Born | Samuel Augustus Nunn Jr. September 8, 1938 Macon, Georgia, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Politician, lawyer |
| Years active | 1968–1997 (politics) |
| Known for | U.S. Senator from Georgia (1972–1997), co-founder of Nuclear Threat Initiative |
| Notable work | Co-author of Goldwater-Nichols Act, Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction |
Samuel Augustus Nunn Jr. (born September 8, 1938) is a former American legislator who represented Georgia as a U.S. Senator from 1972 until 1997, affiliated with the Democratic Party.
Following his departure from the Senate, Nunn co-established the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI), a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing global security by mitigating risks posed by nuclear, biological, and emerging threats. He currently holds the position of co-chair at NTI. His significant background in national defense led to his consideration as a possible vice presidential nominee alongside both John Kerry and Barack Obama during their respective presidential bids.
Early life
Born in Macon, Georgia, Nunn is the son of Mary Elizabeth (née Cannon) and Samuel Augustus Nunn, an attorney who also served as mayor of Perry, Georgia. Raised in Perry, he is related as a grandnephew to Congressman Carl Vinson.
An Eagle Scout honored with the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award, Nunn excelled athletically in high school, captaining his basketball team to a state championship victory.
He began his higher education at Georgia Tech in 1956, where he joined the fraternity Phi Delta Theta, before transferring to Emory University. He earned his bachelor's degree in 1961 and subsequently obtained his law degree from Emory University School of Law in 1962.
Early career
After serving active duty in the United States Coast Guard, Nunn spent six years in the Coast Guard Reserve, achieving the rank of petty officer. He also gained experience working as a staff member for Congress.
Upon returning to Perry, Georgia, he practiced law, managed his family’s agricultural operations, and took on the role of president of the Perry Chamber of Commerce.
Political career
Nunn launched his political journey in 1968 as a member of the Georgia House of Representatives. In 1972, he secured election to the United States Senate, overcoming incumbent David H. Gambrell in the Democratic primary and defeating U.S. Representative Fletcher Thompson in the general election. He stepped down from the Senate in 1997, citing diminished "zest and enthusiasm" for public office.
Throughout his Senate service, Nunn held leadership positions including chairmanships of the U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services and the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. He also contributed as a member of the Intelligence and Small Business Committees. Among his significant legislative accomplishments are co-authoring the Goldwater-Nichols Act, which restructured the Department of Defense, and spearheading the Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction initiative that assisted Russia and other former Soviet republics in securing and dismantling over 7,600 nuclear warheads.
Politically identified as a moderate-to-conservative Democrat, Nunn frequently diverged from party lines on social and fiscal matters. He opposed tax hikes included in the 1993 budget legislation and was critical of Hillary Clinton’s proposed insurance mandate during her healthcare reform campaign. Additionally, under President Bill Clinton’s administration, Nunn actively resisted policies permitting openly gay individuals to serve in the military—a position that attracted criticism from LGBT advocacy groups.
In 2008, he supported a Pentagon-led review of the military’s "don't ask, don't tell" policy, indicating it was appropriate to reevaluate its effectiveness after fifteen years.
Between 1989 and 1994, Nunn’s campaign financing totaled approximately $2.4 million, primarily sourced from sectors such as finance, defense, legal services, and major corporations including Goldman Sachs and Coca-Cola.
His voting tendencies included backing school prayer initiatives, balanced budget amendments, and restrictions on death penalty appeals. On topics like abortion rights, environmental protection, gun control measures, and affirmative action policies, he adopted more liberal positions. Notably, he voted against U.S. involvement in the Gulf War.
In 1994, Nunn participated alongside former President Jimmy Carter and General Colin Powell in a delegation commissioned by President Bill Clinton to Haiti. Their mission aimed to negotiate a peaceful exit for military ruler Raoul Cédras, successfully preventing armed conflict and facilitating democratic restoration.
Upon retiring in 1996, Nunn earned bipartisan respect for his deep knowledge of national security and foreign affairs. Republican Senator John Warner commended him as a foremost global strategist dedicated to advancing America's interests.
Post-Congressional career
In 2001, Nunn established the Nuclear Threat Initiative and held the positions of co-chair and CEO until June 2017. At that point, he transitioned to a co-chair role alongside Ted Turner and Ernest Moniz. He continues to contribute to public policy as a distinguished professor at the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs within the Georgia Institute of Technology, where he organizes the biennial Sam Nunn Policy Forum. This event gathers specialists from academia, government, and industry to deliberate on pressing national matters.
Nunn participated on the advisory board of the Partnership for a Secure America, which promotes bipartisan approaches to national security challenges such as climate change and nuclear nonproliferation. As Chairman Emeritus of the board at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), he co-facilitated the Cohen-Nunn Dialogues with former Defense Secretary William Cohen, drawing public focus to significant U.S. strategic issues.
Having retired as a partner from the law firm King & Spalding, Nunn also served on the board of The Coca-Cola Company. In 2005, he joined forces with ex-senator Fred Thompson to advocate for Last Best Chance, a Nuclear Threat Initiative-produced film addressing nuclear dangers, which was broadcast on HBO.
Alongside William Perry, Henry Kissinger, and George Shultz, Nunn championed the vision of eliminating nuclear weapons through a series of op-eds in the Wall Street Journal and by founding the Nuclear Security Project to promote this goal. During a 2008 event at the Harvard Kennedy School, he highlighted how nuclear threats are evolving due to non-state actors who cannot be deterred by traditional means.
Their efforts were spotlighted in 2010 through Nuclear Tipping Point, a documentary reinforcing their call for worldwide nuclear disarmament. Nunn additionally contributed to the supervisory council of the International Luxembourg Forum on Preventing Nuclear Catastrophe and advised the National Bureau of Asian Research, expanding his role in shaping non-proliferation policies.
In June 2013, Nunn publicly advocated for extending nuclear arms treaties between the United States and Russia after the expiration of the 1992 Nunn-Lugar agreement. He also called for advancements in chemical and biological weapons restrictions amid increasing geopolitical tensions.
He was a member of the Board of Curators for the Georgia Historical Society and served on the advisory board of Theranos, a biotechnology company later exposed as fraudulent.
Nunn’s professional journey is chronicled in several works, including "The Best President the Nation Never Had" by his former Chief of Staff Roland McElroy (2017), which explores his early Senate campaigns, and "Sam Nunn: Statesman of the Nuclear Age" by Frank Leith Jones (2021), focusing on his contributions to national security.
In 2019, it was announced by the US Navy that an Arleigh Burke-class Missile Destroyer would bear his name as the USS Sam Nunn.
2008 presidential or vice-presidential candidacy speculation
On August 19, 2007, Nunn indicated he would make a decision regarding a presidential run after the conclusion of the 2008 primary season. The speculation concluded on April 18, 2008, when he publicly endorsed Democratic candidate Barack Obama.
While Nunn declined public interest in pursuing a vice-presidential nomination, some political commentators and figures considered him a potential running mate for Obama.
Former President Jimmy Carter expressed support for Nunn as a prospective vice-presidential candidate alongside Obama, as did columnist Peggy Noonan. Additionally, in August 2008, investor Warren Buffett voiced his preference for Nunn as Obama's vice-presidential choice.
Personal life
Nunn is wed to Colleen O'Brien, whom he encountered at the U.S. Embassy in Paris during her tenure with the Central Intelligence Agency. Together, they have two children: Mary Michelle Nunn and Samuel Brian Nunn. Michelle Nunn serves as CEO of Points of Light and CARE and was an unsuccessful candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2014.
In 1987, after a discussion with Nunn about his Chrysler Fifth Avenue, Chrysler's CEO Lee Iacocca launched an inquiry into allegations that company executives operated new vehicles before odometers were activated, which resulted in extended warranties and public apologies.
Reports emerged in 1989 revealing that Nunn had been involved in a drunk driving incident in 1964; this information surfaced during the confirmation hearings of John Tower, whom Nunn opposed due to concerns about Tower’s alleged alcohol use.
Nunn's affiliation with Augusta National Golf Club attracted scrutiny in 2002 amid efforts advocating for female membership at the traditionally all-male club, which had admitted its first African American member in 1990 but remained exclusive to men.
Additionally, Nunn is a member of the Freemasons.
Awards and honors
- The Georgia Institute of Technology renamed its international affairs department the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs in 1990.
- In 1996, Nunn was honored with the U.S. Senator John Heinz Award for Greatest Public Service by an Elected or Appointed Official, presented annually by the Jefferson Awards.
- Together with Lugar, he was awarded the Heinz Award Chairman's Medal in 2004 for their joint initiatives.
- In 2006, Oglethorpe University conferred upon him an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree.
- The Hessian Peace Prize was bestowed on him in 2008 in recognition of his dedication to nuclear disarmament and efforts against nuclear terrorism.
- In 2009, he received the Lifetime Contributions to American Diplomacy Award from the American Foreign Service Association.
- The Georgia Historical Society and the governor of Georgia named him a Georgia Trustee in 2011 for his community service reflecting the values of Georgia’s original Trustees.
- He was the inaugural recipient of Georgia Tech's Ivan Allen Jr. Prize for Social Courage in 2011.
- In 2013, Nunn was decorated as a Knight Commander of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany.
- The U.S. Navy Veterans Memorial awarded him the Lone Sailor Award in September 2014.
See also
Further reading
External links
- Annotated Bibliography for Sam Nunn from the ALsos Digital Library for Nuclear Issues
- Sam Nunn, Chairman Board of Directors CSIS
- Sam Nunn, NTI Board of Directors
- Sam Nunn at the Commonwealth Club
- Sam Nunn Papers at the Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library
- Foreign Service Journal article on his Lifetime Contributions to American Diplomacy Award.