10 Things You Didn't Know About Saxby Chambliss

1. Clarence Saxby Chambliss was born on Nov. 10, 1943, in Warrenton, N.C. His mother taught school, and his father was an Episcopalian priest whose work caused the family to move frequently during his childhood.

2. While he was in high school in Shreveport, La., Chambliss considered becoming a doctor, but an internship at a local hospital changed his mind. He decided to pursue a career in business or law.

3. Chambliss attended the University of Georgia, graduating in 1966 with a bachelor's degree in business administration.

4. Chambliss met his future wife, Julianne, while in college. They married in 1966, and she later became an elementary school teacher.

5. One of Chambliss's Sigma Chi fraternity brothers at UGA was Jim Martin, his opponent in this year's Senate race. Martin was two years younger than Chambliss, and the two men have said that, although they were friendly, they did not socialize together much.

6. After college, Chambliss worked for a time in a men's clothing store and as a fireman in Thomasville, Ga. He went on to law school at the University of Tennessee. After he graduated in 1968, he moved to Moultrie, Ga., where he practiced agricultural law.

7. Chambliss won a seat in the House of Representatives in 1994 as part of the wave of Republicans swept into office with Newt Gingrich's "Contract with America." He became chairman of the House Intelligence Subcommittee on Terrorism and Homeland Security, which brought him national notice in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks.

8. Chambliss won election to the U.S. Senate after an acrimonious campaign against incumbent Democrat Max Cleland. A controversial campaign advertisement in which he criticized Cleland's position on homeland security drew heavy criticism from Democrats and some Republicans who felt that he was questioning the patriotism of Cleland, who lost both legs and part of his right arm in Vietnam.

9. Chambliss and his wife have two adult children, Bo and Lia, and two grandchildren, Parker and John.

10. Chambliss is an avid hunter and fisherman, and he has said that he particularly enjoys hunting quail while he is at home in Georgia.

Sources:

• The Associated Press
• The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
• The Macon ( Ga. ) Telegraph
• Roll Call