Jimmy Naifeh, the longest serving speaker.

• Position: PEOPLE & POLITICS - Brief article

JIMMY NAIFEH, THE LONGEST SERVING SPEAKER in Tennessee history, is retiring from the General Assembly after 38 years. Naifeh was first elected to the House in 1974, and served as speaker for 18 years--from 1991 until 2009 when Republicans won control of the Tennessee House. He was honored with the title House speaker emeritus, and has won numerous awards recognizing his leadership, including the prestigious William M. Bulger Award, given by NCSL and the Leaders' Foundation, in 2006. The award goes to the...