NED McWHERTER
Ned McWherter, former governor of Tenn.; at 80
NED McWHERTER
NASHVILLE — Ned McWherter, a former two-term Democratic governor of Tennessee who once served as a political adviser to President Clinton, has died. Mr. McWherter was 80.
Assistant Madelyn Pritchett said McWherter had cancer and died at a Nashville hospital Monday afternoon.
A child of sharecroppers who rose to become a millionaire businessman, Mr. McWherter was governor from 1987 to 1995 after 20 years in the Legislature. As governor, he sought to put more computers in classrooms and boost teacher pay while promising honest government.
He was a member of the US Postal Service board of governors after serving as governor.
His son, Mike McWherter, lost the race for governor in 2010 to Republican Bill Haslam.
Clinton said the elder McWherter played a key role in helping him carry Tennessee in his presidential elections.
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