[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 50 (Tuesday, March 27, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Page S2081]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO LEE ANDERSON

 Mr. CORKER. Mr. President, today I wish to honor an 
exceptional Tennessean and fellow Chattanoogan for his outstanding 
career as a newsman and his many contributions to our city and country.
  Lee Stratton Anderson was born in Trenton, KY in 1925 to Mr. and Mrs. 
Herbert L. Anderson. At the age of 5, he moved to Chattanooga, TN, 
where he still resides today. In 1942, as a high school junior, Lee was 
hired as a reporter at the Chattanooga News-Free Press, and on April 
18th of this year, he will retire from that same newspaper 70 years to 
the day his storied career began.
  It was clear from an early age that Lee Anderson was an exceptional 
person dedicated to serving others and his country. In addition to 
becoming a journalist at 16 years old, Lee earned the distinction of 
Eagle Scout and was the winner of two Sons of the American Revolution 
Good Citizenship Awards. After high school, he enrolled in the 
University of Chattanooga and volunteered for the Air Force aviation 
cadet program, serving 21 months on Active Duty in World War II before 
returning to school and to the paper. He maintained a busy schedule as 
a college student, arriving at 6:00 a.m. to the paper each day before 
heading to class until 9:30 p.m. Remarkably, he graduated in 3 years 
while still finding time to be a leader on campus. He was president of 
Sigma Chi fraternity, the Blue Key Honor Society, and the 
Interfraternity Council, and chairman of the Honor Council 
Indoctrination Committee, all while holding a full-time job.
  At the Chattanooga News-Free Press, Lee covered politics and the 
State legislature before being named associate editor in 1948 and then 
editor in 1958. It was as an associate editor that Lee began to write 
the editorials that would become his signature. Over 40 years later, 
when Walter Hussman bought and merged the News-Free Press with then-
rival the Chattanooga Times, Lee was named associate publisher and 
editor of the combined paper. The Chattanooga Times Free Press remains 
the only U.S. newspaper to offer two editorial perspectives, and, at 
age 87, Lee continues to plan three or four editorials for the Free 
Press section of the editorial page each day. His editorials have been 
reprinted in publications throughout the country, garnering him 
numerous awards, including the Freedoms Foundation's national award for 
editorials in 1979.
  In addition to his 70-year career in the newsroom, Lee Anderson's 
contributions to his community, State and country have been just as 
impressive and valuable. He is a retired major in the U.S. Army Reserve 
and has served on a number of committees focused on educating the 
public about the Civil War. In 1957, he cofounded Confederama, now 
known as the Battles for Chattanooga Museum, an educational tourist 
attraction re-creating local battles and highlighting Chattanooga's 
role during the Civil War. He has delivered more than 2,000 speeches on 
a variety of topics, including religion, history, and politics, and 
authored two books: ``Valley of the Shadow: the Battles of Chickamauga 
and Chattanooga, 1863'' and ``Israel: I looked over Jordan.''
  Lee has held leadership positions in numerous civic causes and 
organizations, including the Chattanooga Downtown Rotary, the 
Chattanooga Convention and Visitors Bureau, and the local chapter of 
the American Red Cross, to name a few. This past year, Lee was named 
the public face of United Way's annual campaign after almost 80 years 
of continuous participation with the charity, making his first 
contribution as a first grader. He also served Tennesseans for 4 years 
under my good friend, then-Governor Lamar Alexander, on the Tennessee 
Industrial and Agricultural Development Commission.
  Lee Anderson's many achievements in life are too numerous to list 
here, but if you were to ask him, he would tell you after his wife, 
Betsy, of 62 years, two children and two grandchildren, one of his 
greatest accomplishments has been teaching Sunday school for over 40 
years at First Presbyterian Church in Chattanooga.
  Mr. President, I have known Lee Anderson for my entire adult life and 
have seen firsthand his love for our community and witnessed his 
contributions to making it a great place for our citizens to live and 
do business. Over his long career, Lee's views have always reflected 
his strongly held beliefs and deep devotion to the city and country he 
loves. It is an honor and a privilege to serve in the Senate on behalf 
of Tennesseans like Lee Anderson. I congratulate him for his remarkable 
dedication to the newspapers of record in Chattanooga and join with so 
many others in thanking him for the lasting impact he has made, which 
will extend for many years to come.

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