Federal Explainer

Lamar Alexander, Fifth U.S. Education Secretary: Biography and Achievements

By Education Week Library Staff — August 18, 2017 | Updated: December 17, 2018 4 min read
U.S. President George H. Bush glances toward his choices for two Cabinet positions during a White House press briefing, Monday, Dec. 18, 1990 in Washington. At left is former Tennessee Gov. Lamar Alexander, the President's pick for education secretary.
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Biographical Information: Alexander was born July 3, 1940, in Maryville, Tenn. He graduated from Vanderbilt University and then obtained a law degree from New York University Law School. Before his tenure as education secretary, Alexander was governor of Tennessee from 1979 to 1987. He served as president of the University of Tennessee from 1988 to 1991. He ran two unsuccessful presidential campaigns, in 1996 and 2000, and was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2002 and re-elected in 2008 and 2014. He became chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee in 2015.

Served Under: President George H.W. Bush

Dates of Tenure: 1991-1993

Fun Fact: He was a television host for the Discovery Channel.

Achievements in Office:

  • Alexander was a key player in crafting President George H.W. Bush’s America 2000 education plan, which included federal support for robust standards.

Archives of Note:

Tennessee’s Best Salesman
Lamar Alexander, Tennessee’s popular young Republican governor, likes to say that governors should spend at least half of their time convincing people that they’re right. Following him around Democratic west Tennessee as he tries to galvanize community support for his “Better Schools Program,” it’s easy to see why. (Oct. 20, 1985)

Educators Hail Nomination of Alexander as Secretary
In tapping former Gov. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee to be the next secretary of education, President Bush chose someone with a long and deep track record on education issues and substantial credibility in the education community. (Jan. 9, 1991)

After Two-Month Delay, Senate Confirms Alexander
Nearly two months after Lamar Alexander was first nominated, the Senate last week unanimously confirmed the former Tennessee governor as the next secretary of education. (Mar. 20, 1991)

Alexander Wastes No Time Making Office His Own
In a flurry of appearances during his first week on the job, Secretary of Education Lamar Alexander said that he supports expansion of the National Assessment of Educational Progress to allow for comparisons at the state and local levels, and that he favors choice policies that would allow private organizations to operate public schools. (Mar. 27, 1991)

Bush’s School Plan Is ‘Lamar’s Baby,’ Participants Agree
Participants in the process that resulted in America 2000 and other observers say the strategy is undeniably the vision of Mr. Alexander, who conceived it before he arrived here and refined it with the aid of a small team of trusted staff and associates. (June 5, 1991)

Alexander Plans ‘Partnership’ To Strengthen Arts Education
Amid continuing criticism that music and the arts have been left out of national education reform efforts, Secretary of Education Lamar Alexander earlier this month disclosed his intention to form a national “partnership’’ to strengthen schooling in those subjects. But Education Department officials last week could offer few details on the idea. (Mar. 18, 1992)

On Familiar Political Turf, Alexander Hits The Campaign Trail
It is 11 A.M. on a weekday, and, except for a knot of reporters and television cameramen stationed by a small voter-registration table, the Arden Fair shopping mall here is quiet. (Sept. 30, 1992)

Outgoing Department Officials Lay Plans for New Pursuits
As the Bush administration’s appointees cleared out their offices last week, some Education Department officials said they have plans for academic, legal, corporate, or public-policy pursuits, while others have no firm idea of their future plans. (Jan. 20, 1993)

Former Education Secretaries Join Forces in Alexander Campaign
Former Secretary of Education William J. Bennett, a co-director of the conservative think tank Empower America, last week endorsed former Secretary of Education Lamar Alexander, its other co-director, for the 1996 Republican presidential nomination and signed on as national chairman of Mr. Alexander’s campaign. (Feb. 21, 1996)

Alexander Sidesteps Tradition, Lands Ed. Committee Slot
Former Secretary of Education Lamar Alexander got his wish this month: a seat on the Senate committee that oversees education policy. (Jan. 29, 2003)

ESSA Architect Q&A: Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn.
The Every Student Succeeds Act turned six months old last Friday. Earlier this spring, Politics K-12’s Alyson Klein sat down with all four of the law’s main architects in Congress. … Last week, we spoke with Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., the chairman of the Senate education committee, about his role in getting ESSA over the finish line and the future of the law, as well as how education is playing out in the 2016 presidential contest. (June 13, 2016)

Sen. Lamar Alexander, Top Capitol Hill Republican on Education, to Retire
The chairman of the Senate education committee, a former education secretary and a main architect of the Every Student Succeeds Act, announced he will not run for re-election in 2020. (Dec. 17, 2018)

Commentaries by Lamar Alexander:

An Effort To Find Common Ground On Paying Teachers for Performance
At its recent annual meeting in Denver, the Education Commission of the States invited three prominent participants in the national debate on the topics of merit pay and master teachers to take part in a panel discussion on the issues. (Aug. 17, 1983)

A Compass in the Storm
What does it take to form effective school-business partnerships at a time when concern about excess commercialism in schools fosters scrutiny of such relationships? Former U.S. Secretaries of Education Lamar Alexander and Richard W. Riley offer “guiding principles.” (Oct. 9, 2002)

NCLB Lessons
A decade ago, Republicans and Democrats in Congress and a Republican president enacted a plan to improve our nation’s schools. Their noble goal gave us No Child Left Behind. (Jan. 5, 2012)

    Additional Resources
    Lamar Alexander’s Website Senator Alexander’s website, including a brief biography
    National Governors Association A short biography focused on his career in government service

    How to Cite This Article
    Education Week Library Staff. (2017, August 18). Lamar Alexander, Fifth U.S. Education Secretary: Biography and Achievements. Education Week. Retrieved Month Day, Year from https://www.edweek.org/policy-politics/lamar-alexander-fifth-u-s-education-secretary-biography-and-acheivements/2017/08

    Events

    This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
    Sponsor
    Professional Development Webinar
    Inside PLCs: Proven Strategies from K-12 Leaders
    Join an expert panel to explore strategies for building collaborative PLCs, overcoming common challenges, and using data effectively.
    Content provided by Otus
    This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
    Sponsor
    Science Webinar
    Making Science Stick: The Engaging Power of Hands-On Learning
    How can you make science class the highlight of your students’ day while
    achieving learning outcomes? Find out in this session.
    Content provided by LEGO Education
    Teaching Profession Key Insights to Elevate and Inspire Today’s Teachers
    Join this free half day virtual event to energize your teaching and cultivate a positive learning experience for students.

    EdWeek Top School Jobs

    Teacher Jobs
    Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
    View Jobs
    Principal Jobs
    Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
    View Jobs
    Administrator Jobs
    Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
    View Jobs
    Support Staff Jobs
    Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
    View Jobs

    Read Next

    Federal Trump’s 4th Week: Musk’s Team Pushes Ed. Dept. Cuts as McMahon Faces Senators
    Linda McMahon appeared before U.S. senators, answering for an already turbulent time at the Education Department before she's taken charge.
    6 min read
    A shouting protester is removed from the hearing room as Linda McMahon, President Donald Trump’s nominee to be Secretary of Education, testifies during her Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee confirmation hearing, at the U.S. Capitol, in Washington, on Feb. 13, 2025. A shouting protester is removed from the hearing room as Linda McMahon, President Donald Trump’s nominee to be Secretary of Education, testifies during her Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee confirmation hearing, at the U.S. Capitol, in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, February 13, 2025. (Graeme Sloan for Education Week)
    A shouting protester is removed from the hearing room as Linda McMahon, President Donald Trump’s nominee to be Secretary of Education, testifies during her confirmation hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Feb. 13, 2025.
    Graeme Sloan for Education Week
    Federal Trump Picks Long-Serving State Chief With Bipartisan Fans for Top Ed. Dept. Role
    Trump nominated North Dakota State Superintendent Kirsten Baesler to a key post overseeing K-12 policy at the U.S. Department of Education.
    5 min read
    North Dakota Superintendent of Public Instruction Kirsten Baesler announces the gathering of a task force to look into future options the state has for the assessment of students during a press conference May 8, 2015, at the state Capitol in Bismarck, N.D.
    North Dakota Superintendent of Public Instruction Kirsten Baesler announces the gathering of a task force to look into future options the state has for the assessment of students during a press conference May 8, 2015, at the state Capitol in Bismarck, N.D. President Donald Trump has tapped Baesler to serve as assistant secretary of elementary and secondary education.
    Mike McCleary/The Bismarck Tribune via AP
    Federal Opinion Education Research Is in the Trump Administration's Cross Hairs
    DOGE took a "chainsaw" to the Ed. Dept's grant programs. Morgan Polikoff has four suggestions for his research colleagues.
    5 min read
    Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
    Sonia Pulido for Education Week
    Federal Vaccine Skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Is Sworn in as Trump’s Health Chief
    Kennedy, who has called for public health agencies to focus on chronic diseases, was sworn in after a close Senate vote.
    3 min read
    Supreme Court Associate Justice Neil Gorsuch swears in Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Health and Human Services Secretary as Kennedy's wife Cheryl Hines holds the Bible in the Oval Office at the White House, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025, in Washington.
    Supreme Court Associate Justice Neil Gorsuch swears in Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Health and Human Services Secretary as Kennedy's wife Cheryl Hines holds the Bible in the Oval Office at the White House, Feb. 13, 2025, in Washington.
    Alex Brandon/AP