ETEC - Former U.S. Senator & Secretary of Education Lamar Alexander
Friday, June 5, 2026 (7:30 AM - 8:30 AM) (EDT)
Description
Join us at ETEC, in person or virtually, on Friday, June 5, 2026, at 7:30 am - 8:30 am to hear from Former U.S. Senator & Secretary of Education Lamar Alexander. Senator Alexander recently released his 568-page memoir, The Education of a Senator: From JFK to Trump, on May 19, 2026. The book offers a remarkable inside look at his six-decade career working with ten presidents, while championing bipartisanship, pragmatic leadership, and the preservation of democratic institutions.
The first 100 ETEC meeting attendees will receive a free copy of the book!
See bio below.
No registration is necessary for in-person attendance.
Register in advance for the VIRTUAL #ETEConline meeting here: https://tennessee.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUrd-CgrDMiHNTsDsHqH0FyubCh2ys57LzH#/registration
For more information about ETEC’s weekly meetings, click here.
Visit the Find Us page for the meeting location, address, and map.
Former U.S. Senator and Secretary of Education Lamar Alexander
Lamar Alexander has long been known as one of America’s most principled and effective statesmen. As US Senator, Alexander shepherded major laws that today govern K–12 education, medical innovation, and maintenance of our national parks. Former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said, “For eighteen years, there was Lamar Alexander, and there was the rest of us. He was hands-down one of the most brilliant, most thoughtful, and most effective legislators any of us have ever seen.” As governor, Alexander brought the auto industry to Tennessee and made it the first state to pay teachers more for teaching well. He was chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, the nation’s governors, and of President Reagan’s “Commission on Americans Outdoors.” He served as US Education Secretary and as a university president.
Alexander was also known for campaigning in a plaid shirt and performing on the piano with twenty-seven symphonies and on the Grand Ol’ Opry. He graduated from Vanderbilt University and New York University Law School. He and his late wife Honey were married for fifty-four years, had four children and nine grandchildren. His parents were teachers. A seventh generation Tennessean, Alexander lives in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains near Maryville where he grew up. This is his tenth book, all written by the author himself.
A behind-the- scenes story of the last sixty years of American politics, told with purpose and humor by a political legend who worked with ten presidents, made deals with both Obama and Trump, and believes that serving in public office is the best way to help the largest number of people and to keep our Republic from falling apart.
AtkinsRéalis sponsors this month's ETEC Friday Morning Meeting Series.
Images
1201 Oak Ridge Turnpike
Oak Ridge, TN 37830 United States
If you want to bring a guest please register them here.
Click here to register for the VIRTUAL version of the meeting
Complimentary coffee, bagels, muffins and pastries served.
The Outreach Center is located on the back corner of the building on the Applebee’s side. The entrance faces the Quality Inn and Applebee's.
Look for an awning and sign that says University of Tennessee Outreach Center.
The main entrance of the ETEC Office will be locked.
-If you are coming from Knoxville via S. Illinois Ave (TN-62W); take a right onto S. Rutgers Ave, and continue until you come to the intersection of Rice Rd and Rider Rd, across from ORNL Corporate Headquarters; after the Quality Inn, take a left onto Rider Rd and you will arrive at your destination on the right. Look for an awning and sign that says University of Tennessee Outreach Center.
-Alternatively, if you are coming from Knoxville via S. Illinois Ave (TN-62W); you can take a sharp right and merge onto Lafayette Dr; turn left onto W. Gettysburg Ave; turn right onto Manhattan Ave; then at the intersection of Manhattan Ave and S. Rutgers Ave, continue straight across onto Rice Rd until you come to the intersection of Rice Rd and Rider Rd; take a right onto Rider Rd and you will arrive at your destination on the right. Look for an awning and sign that says University of Tennessee Outreach Center.
-If you are coming from Oak Ridge via the Turnpike, you will find us between the intersection of S. Rutgers Ave and Wallace Rd, between the Applebee's and Dairy Queen, across the street from St. Mary's School. The Outreach Center is located on the back corner of the building on the Applebee’s side. The entrance faces the Quality Inn and Applebee's. Look for an awning and sign that says University of Tennessee Outreach Center. The main entrance of the ETEC Office will be locked.
-If you are coming from Oak Ridge via Illinois Ave; turn onto S. Rutgers Ave, and continue until you come to the intersection of Rice Rd and Rider Rd, across from ORNL Corporate Headquarters; after the Quality Inn, turn onto Rider Rd and you will arrive at your destination on the right. The Outreach Center is located on the back corner of the building on the Applebee’s side. The entrance faces the Quality Inn and Applebee's. Look for an awning and sign that says University of Tennessee Outreach Center. The main entrance of the ETEC Office will be locked.
* Weather Policy * |
ETEC prioritizes the safety of our meeting attendees during weather conditions. If inclement weather is expected on a Friday morning, and we decide to move to an ALL-VIRTUAL Zoom format, we will notify members by 5:00 p.m. the evening before. Newsletter subscribers will receive an email, and notices will be posted on the ETEC homepage and the calendar event page. We encourage all attendees to check for updates and use the Zoom registration link to join virtually if necessary. If you do not receive an email and there are no notices on the website, we will proceed with the in-person (hybrid) meeting as planned, but we advise everyone to use their own judgment based on road conditions in their areas. |