Tennessee Commissioner of Veterans Affairs
Encyclopedia
The Tennessee Commissioner of Veterans Affairs is the head of Tennessee
's Department of Veterans Affairs
, which is responsible for veterans benefits programs within the state. The Commissioner is appointed by the governor of Tennessee and is a member of the governor's Cabinet, which meets at least once per month, or more often to the governor's liking.
The position of Commissioner was first created in 1945, along with the department it heads, but in 1959 the department became a staff division under the governor's office headed by a director. The position of Commissioner was recreated in 1975 by the Tennessee General Assembly
. It is analogous to the federal Secretary of Veterans Affairs
or the Minister of Veterans Affairs
of Canada
.
According to the Tennessee State Library and Archives, Louis Ragghianti was the first Commissioner after the Department's reinstatement, from 1975 to 1979, under Governor Ray Blanton
. William H. Roden, Jr. was the Commissioner under the administration of Lamar Alexander
. William D. "Bill" Manning, appointed in 1987, was the Commissioner under Ned Ray McWherter, and Fred Tucker was the Commissioner of Veterans Affairs under Don Sundquist
. The current Commissioner, under the administration of Phil Bredesen
, is John A. Keys.
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
's Department of Veterans Affairs
Tennessee Department of Veterans Affairs
The Tennessee Department of Veterans Affairs is a Cabinet-level agency within the Tennessee state government, headed by the Tennessee Commissioner of Veterans Affairs, who is currently Many-Bears Grinder...
, which is responsible for veterans benefits programs within the state. The Commissioner is appointed by the governor of Tennessee and is a member of the governor's Cabinet, which meets at least once per month, or more often to the governor's liking.
The position of Commissioner was first created in 1945, along with the department it heads, but in 1959 the department became a staff division under the governor's office headed by a director. The position of Commissioner was recreated in 1975 by the Tennessee General Assembly
Tennessee General Assembly
The Tennessee General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Tennessee.-Constitutional structure:According to the Tennessee State Constitution of 1870, the General Assembly is a bicameral legislature and consists of a Senate of thirty-three members and a House of Representatives of...
. It is analogous to the federal Secretary of Veterans Affairs
United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs
The United States Secretary of Veterans' Affairs is the head of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, the department concerned with veterans' benefits and related matters...
or the Minister of Veterans Affairs
Minister of Veterans Affairs (Canada)
The Minister of Veterans Affairs is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet whose position was created in 1944. The Department of Veterans Affairs Canada was split from the Department of Pensions and National Health and was given the responsibility of administering benefits and pensions...
of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
According to the Tennessee State Library and Archives, Louis Ragghianti was the first Commissioner after the Department's reinstatement, from 1975 to 1979, under Governor Ray Blanton
Ray Blanton
Leonard Ray Blanton was the 44th Governor of Tennessee from 1975 to 1979. Blanton's administration was rife with corruption.-Early life and Congress:...
. William H. Roden, Jr. was the Commissioner under the administration of Lamar Alexander
Lamar Alexander
Andrew Lamar Alexander is the senior United States Senator from Tennessee and Conference Chair of the Republican Party. He was previously the 45th Governor of Tennessee from 1979 to 1987, United States Secretary of Education from 1991 to 1993 under President George H. W...
. William D. "Bill" Manning, appointed in 1987, was the Commissioner under Ned Ray McWherter, and Fred Tucker was the Commissioner of Veterans Affairs under Don Sundquist
Don Sundquist
Donald Kenneth Sundquist is a former governor and congressman from Tennessee. A Republican, he served as the 47th Governor of Tennessee from 1995 to 2003...
. The current Commissioner, under the administration of Phil Bredesen
Phil Bredesen
Philip Norman "Phil" Bredesen Jr. was the 48th Governor of Tennessee, serving from 2003 to 2011. A member of the Democratic Party, he was first elected Governor in 2002, and was re-elected in 2006. He previously served as the fourth mayor of Nashville and Davidson County from 1991 to...
, is John A. Keys.