Jim Sasser was a three-term U.S. senator from Tennessee who also served as ambassador to China under former President Bill Clinton.
- Died: September 10, 2024 (Who else died on September 10?)
- Details of death: Died in Chapel Hill, North Carolina of a heart attack at the age of 87.
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Jim Sasser’s legacy
Sasser was born in Memphis, Tennessee, and educated in the Volunteer State as well – he earned degrees from the University of Tennessee, Vanderbilt University, and Vanderbilt University Law School. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves before entering politics, first helping manage the unsuccessful 1970 Senate campaign of Albert Gore Sr.
In 1976, Sasser ran for and won a seat in the U.S. Senate representing his home state of Tennessee, easily defeating incumbent Bill Brock. Sasser established a reputation as a senator who could work with people on both sides of the aisle. He was chair of the Senate Budget Committee during the tenures of presidents George H.W. Bush (1924–2018) and Clinton, and he was a champion of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and Tennessee Valley Authority.
Sasser lost his bid for a fourth term in the Senate to Republican Senator Bill Frist. In 1996, he was appointed as Clinton’s ambassador to China. Sasser retired from the role in 1999, becoming a professor at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. At the time of his passing, Sasser was the last Democratic senator to represent Tennessee.
Tributes to Jim Sasser
Full obituary: The Tennessean
