Sam Nunn
Sam Nunn | |
|---|---|
Nunn, c. 2020 | |
| Chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee | |
| In office January 3, 1987 – January 3, 1995 | |
| Preceded by | Barry Goldwater |
| Succeeded by | Strom Thurmond |
| United States Senator from Georgia | |
| In office November 8, 1972 – January 3, 1997 | |
| Preceded by | David Gambrell |
| Succeeded by | Max Cleland |
| Member of the Georgia House of Representatives from the 41st district Post 1 | |
| In office January 13, 1969 – November 8, 1972 | |
| Preceded by | Glenn Phillips |
| Succeeded by | Guy Hill |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Samuel Augustus Nunn Jr. September 8, 1938 Macon, Georgia, U.S. |
| Party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Colleen O'Brien (m. 1965) |
| Children | 2, including Michelle |
| Relatives | Carl Vinson (grand-uncle) |
| 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 (1972–1997) as a member of the Democratic Party.
In the Senate, Nunn was involved in the Nunn–Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction program, which aims to dismantle weapons of mass destruction, originally in the former Soviet Union. Nunn was also involved in the Goldwater–Nichols Act, which reformed the Department of Defense.
After leaving Congress, Nunn co-founded the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI), a nonprofit, nonpartisan global security organization focused on reducing nuclear, biological, and emerging technology threats imperiling humanity, for which he is the co-chair. His political experience and credentials on national defense reportedly earned him consideration as a potential running mate for presidential candidates John Kerry and Barack Obama after they became their party's nominees.