Nunn, Sam (redirected from Sam Nunn)

Nunn, Sam (Samuel Augustus Nunn, Jr.), 1938–, U.S. Senator from Georgia (1973–97), b. Perry, Ga. A lawyer, he was a member of the Georgia House of Representatives (1968–72) and won election as a U.S. Senator in 1972. A conservative Democrat, he has been one of the Senate's more influential leaders, particularly during his term as chairman (1987–95) of the Armed Services Committee. In private law practice after retiring from the Senate, Nunn joined with Ted Turner to establish (2001) the Nuclear Threat Initiative, an organization devoted to controlling the proliferation of nuclear arms; Nunn is its co-chairman and chief executive officer.

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Nunn, (Samuel Augustus, Jr.) Sam (1938–  ) U.S. senator; born in Perry, Ga. After serving in the Georgia legislature (Dem., 1968–72), he was elected to the U.S. Senate (1972). As chairman of the Senate Armed Forces Committee, he attained national prominence as an expert on defense issues. Regarded as a moderate among the Democratic Party leadership, he won the respect of the party's liberals during the administration of Ronald Reagan for his role in the Iran-Contra hearings, his opposition to the nomination of John Tower as Secretary of Defense, and his criticisms of the Strategic Defense Initiative (Star Wars) program. He played a pivotal role in the negotiations that ensued when President Clinton announced his intention of allowing homosexuals to serve openly in the military.