Former US Senator from Georgia, CEO of Nuclear Threat Initiative

Samuel Augustus Nunn Jr., commonly known as Sam Nunn, is a well-known politician and lawyer. He is the current chief executive officer and co-chairman of NTI, or the Nuclear Threat Initiative. NTI is an aid organization that aims to lessen the worldwide risks from biological, chemical, and nuclear weapons.

Sam Nunn’s efforts to secure international security by controlling the risk of use and preventing the distribution of biological, chemical and nuclear weapons gained him at least three nominations in 2000, 2002 and 2005 for the Nobel Peace Prize. Sam Nunn and Richard Lugar, a Republican Senator and co-author of the Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction, collaborated in such endeavors.

Sam Nunn served as a United States Senator from Georgia from 1972 to 1997, and was a Democratic Party member and supporter. Because of his political experience and expertise on national defense, he was said to have been a possible running mate for John Kerry, a Democratic candidate in the Presidential election in 2004. Nunn was also said to have been a potential running mate of Barack Obama, also a Democratic candidate, in 2008. He has recently been appointed as President Obama’s informal advisor.

Prior to his success, he started out simple, with a family that has a career in line with politics.

Sam Nunn was born in Macon, Georgia. He became an Eagle Scout and obtained a Distinguished Eagle Scout Award from the Boy Scouts of America. In 1956, when he studied at Georgia Tech, Nunn was initiated as a brother of Phi Delta Theta fraternity. The next year, he moved to Emory University. It was there that he earned his undergraduate degree in 1960. He went to Law School, also at Emory University, and received his degree in 1962.

He returned to Perry to practice law and manage his family’s farm. He was later appointed the Perry Chamber of Commerce president.

Presently, Sam Nunn is married to the former Colleen O’Brien. They have two children named Brian and Michelle. He met Ms. O’Brien at the US Embassy while she was serving with the Central Intelligence Agency.