John Wilder.

• Position: People & Politics - Obituary - Brief article

John Wilder, an enduring and at times controversial legend in Tennessee politics, died at 88 Jan. 1. He was a towering political figure who served in the Senate for 44 years. He was elected speaker of the Senate in 1971. None of his 77 predecessors as speaker served longer than six years. Wilder smashed that record by holding the post for an astonishing 36 years, making him the longest serving presiding senate officer in modern U.S. history. Under Tennessee's constitution, the speaker is also the lieutenant governor and first in line of succession. During his long career...