WASHINGTON – Bill Frist '74, a heart and lung transplant surgeon turned Republican U.S. senator, will take over as majority leader of the Senate when it reconvenes on Jan. 6.
Frist emerged as the Republican's choice to replace Trent Lott, who stepped down as majority leader after suggesting the country would be better off if a segregationist had been elected president in 1948.
Frist, who has represented Tennessee in the Senate since 1994, coordinated the successful Republican effort to recapture control of the chamber this past November, earning the admiration of many of his colleagues.
As a surgeon, Frist was well known for his high energy level and ability to function without sleep for long periods. These same traits helped him lead his party to a midterm victory, bucking a historical trend in which the president's party typically loses seats during midterm elections.
The Senate's only doctor, he has repeatedly found use for his medical background. During last fall's anthrax attacks, when fellow senators Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., and Tom Daschle, D-S.D., received anthrax-laced letters, he calmed anxious senators and staffers.
He later published a book, "When Every Moment Counts: What You Need to Know About Bioterrorism from the Senate's Only Doctor."
Princeton connections
A member of Cottage Club while at the University, Frist was also president of the Flying Club, according to his entry in the 1974 "Nassau Herald." He stills pilots planes today and has on several occasions flown human hearts to transplant recipients.
In a reunion booklet put together by the Class of 1974, alumni were asked to say what part of the University they like most, and what part they liked least.
"Liked most: graduation. Liked least: Cold weather," wrote Frist, who is a Tennessee native.
At a press conference Dec. 23 announcing his election to the post of majority leader, Frist said he looks forward to easing the racial tension brought forward by Lott's statement at Sen. Strom Thurmond's 100th birthday party, which appeared to indicate a nostalgia for segregation.
Republicans in the Senate will "dedicate ourselves to healing those wounds of division that have been reopened so prominently during the past few weeks," Frist said.
Frist pointed to expanding prescription drug benefits in Medicare, boosting the economy and supporting President Bush's war on terrorism as three of the top priorities for Republicans in the new Congress.
Frist's voting record is nearly identical to Lott's – both received a grade of F from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in its most recent ratings of congressmen – but Frist brings a different style to the job. Recognized as smooth, politically sensitive and affable, he will face a daunting challenge as he tries to lead a closely divided Senate. Editor's Note: This breaking story was appended to the December 13th issue of The Daily Princetonian's online edition at 2:15 PM on December 24th.
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