Press Contact: Teri L. Sullivan
WKNO/Channel 10
(901) 729-8735
tlsullivan@wkno.org
April 25, 2011
For Immediate Release
WKNO TO AIR DOCUMENTARY ON NED MCWHERTER
A larger-than-life bronze statue stands on the courthouse lawn in Dresden, Tennessee in honor of one of Tennessee’s most popular politicians – a man who grew up poor in Northwest Tennessee and never forgot where he came from; a man who played sports and went to college, only to drop out after problems with his knees made football impossible; a man that started out his business career as a low paid traveling shoe salesman and grew into a multi-millionaire. In 1968 he ran for a seat in the Tennessee House of Representatives, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Join WKNO as we take a look at this man who has touched the lives of every Tennessean – Governor Ned Ray McWherter – in Honoring Ned. This documentary will premiere on Monday, May 2 at 9:30 p.m. on WKNO/Channel 10. The documentary focuses on the man as well as the politician, and was produced by WLJT in Martin on the occasion of the unveiling of a statue in his honor on his 80th birthday in the fall of 2010.
McWherter, who passed away at the age of 80 on April 4, 2011, served in the Tennessee House of Representatives for eighteen years – fourteen of these as Speaker of the House – longer than anyone in Tennessee history. During these years he made a name for himself amongst his peers and his constituency.
McWherter ran for Governor of Tennessee in 1986 and was elected and then re-elected in 1990. McWherter’s time as Governor is marked by many accomplishments: he enacted the 21st Century Schools education reform program to increase and more fairly distribute school funding across the state; he introduced a healthcare plan for the poor known as TennCare; he introduced his 95 County Job Plan that helped bring down the unemployment rate across the state; he built roads in Tennessee to help foster business development and prisons to keep Tennesseans safe. During his service, Tennessee was ranked twice as the nation’s best fiscally managed state and in his last year as Governor, McWherter was named the best Governor in the country.
After his service as Governor, McWherter returned to Northwest Tennessee and enjoyed spending time with his friends and family. While he no longer held office, he served as a mentor to many, including former President Bill Clinton, Congressman John Tanner, and Governors Sundquist and Bredesen.
In 2009 the Ned Ray McWherter Monument Committee set out to raise funds to commission a statue in McWherter’s honor. In keeping with McWherter’s request, no public funds were used in producing the monument that today includes a statue, a granite foundation and a small courtyard plaza. The monument, sculpted by renowned Tennessee artist Russ Faxon, will be maintained by the Tennessee FFA Foundation and local high school agricultural students. McWherter was a former president of the Dresden FFA Chapter and a longtime supporter of the agricultural education organization.
Honoring Ned airs Monday, May 2 at 9:30 p.m. on WKNO/Channel 10 and Tuesday, May 3 at 9:30 p.m. on WKNO2 available over the air on channel 10.2 and Comcast Digital Cable Channel 910.
About WKNO
WKNO is a non-profit organization, private foundation serving the Mid-South for more than 50 years. An important community resource, WKNO uses the power of non-commercial public broadcasting to provide the Mid-South with quality educational and cultural programs that inform, entertain, and inspire. For more information about WKNO, visit wkno.org.
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