Alexander, Lamar
Alexander, (Andrew) Lamar
(1940– ) governor; born in Blount Co., Tenn. A Tennessee lawyer, he served as Howard Baker's legislative assistant (1967–68) and worked for Nixon's congressional relations office in 1969. As a Republican governor (1979–87), he spent his first term dealing with scandals left by outgoing governor Ray Blanton, recovering some prestige with the Knoxville World's Fair in 1982. He became University of Tennessee president in 1988 and served as secretary of education (1991–93) under President Bush.The Cambridge Dictionary of American Biography, by John S. Bowman. Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1995. Reproduced with permission.