Members of the Tennessee House Democratic Caucus are mourning the loss of former U.S. Sen. Jim Sasser. Sen. Sasser, who was born in Memphis, passed away at his North Carolina home just a few days shy of what would have been his 88th birthday. The former senator had strong ties throughout the state, e.g.,: he grew up in Nashville and was a public school student there, he attended both the University of Tennessee and Vanderbilt University, and received his law degree from Vanderbilt Law School. After becoming active in Democratic politics, Sasser served three terms in the Senate from 1877 to 1995 and served as chair of the powerful Senate Budget Committee. In 1996, President Bill Clinton appointed him as the U.S. Ambassador to China. House Democratic Caucus Chair John Ray Clemmons also issued the following personal statement about Sen. Sasser:
“I would like to respectfully extend my family’s heartfelt condolences to the Sasser family. Tennessee lost a fierce champion today. My earliest memories of Tennessee politics involve then-U.S. Sen. Jim Sasser visiting my hometown of Lebanon. From that moment and throughout his illustrious career, he represented the consummate public servant to me and a model of what an elected official should be: a fighter and a true representative of the people and above all, a thinker. Simply put, he listened, he did the work, and he made a difference. While his accomplishments were many and his travels were far, his steadfast commitment and loyalty to Tennessee never wavered. For a life well-lived, I join many others by being forever grateful to the first U.S. senator to look me in the eyes and shake my hand.”
