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Sen. Springer Memorialized
in Scholarship Ceremony
by Clint Brewer
Tennessee Politics Contributing Editor
NASHVILLE - The memory and still growing legend of the late Democratic
Senator Kenneth "Pete" Springer was remembered in a reception Wednesday to
award the first scholarship from a new foundation memorializing the
country legislator's life-long commitment to education.
Springer's life and work were honored in remarks made by two of his most
prominent legislative peers, former Gov. Ned Ray McWherter and Lt. Gov.
John Wilder.
With members of both parties looking on in the BellSouth Wintergarden and
Springer's young granddaughter playing in the crowd, it was an event that
at times brought onlookers quietly to tears.
McWherter opened the remarks, chronicling Springer over three decades as a
teacher and his commitment to family - evidenced by his three sons, their
wives and a new 2 1/2-week-old grandson also named Pete in attendance.
"I knew Pete Springer a long time. ...He was married to Janice for 35
years.
He taught school for 31 years. He was a coach, and I understand he taught
every grade one through 12 in his career," McWherter said.
"Pete Springer was a dedicated and committed person for education. He was
Mr. Education. I came here today because of what Pete helped me do."
Yet it was the mercurial Wilder who created the evening's emotional high
point. Focusing his often wandering oratorical style, Wilder remembered
his friend and Senate colleague in a speech that left many in the crowd
squinting back tears.
"Pete and I were close - we were real close," Wilder began. "Pete Springer
made a difference in my life. He made a difference. He was a teacher. He
was a legislator. He did it all. ...Education was his thing, and he made a
difference in a lot of children's lives. He set them on the right course,
and they stayed that course.
"There were others involved, but I don't believe we would have had the BEP
(Basic Education Plan) without Pete Springer. He came to me early and said
what we need is site based management."
"We miss him and we thank God for him." Springer passed away suddenly last year in his Cumberland Tower apartment, the victim of an apparent heart attack. The Centerville Democrat had returned to the legislature for another term after a hard 1998 reelection battle where he struggled with health problems but still managed to best GOP challenger Blake Lay handily.
The Wednesday event and the variety of people present - family, friends,
25th District supporters and state powerbrokers - reflected Springer's
life that mixed a down-home emphasis on family and community with the weighty
decision making of state politics. Springer's middle son Vince presented the first $1,000 scholarship from the Kenneth "Pete" Springer Memorial Foundation to high school student Blake Campbell. McWherter added this initial event was only the first effort to further the foundation's work.
"As we say in political campaigns, if you have friends then reach out,
reach out," McWherter said. "This is a very worthwhile cause." 04/12/2001
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