Sam Stratton Bone Jr.
DOB: 4/12/1938
Spouse: Martha (Marty) Smith, 1974
Son: Doug Bone
Sam Stratton Bone Jr. was born in Lebanon, TN on April 12, 1938, to parents Sam Stratton Bone, Sr, and Margaret Frances Talley Bone. His father was a Cumberland College executive who was instrumental in bringing both electricity and water to the homes and businesses of Wilson County. During World War II, his father coordinated the county’s participation as a training site for soldiers headed to Europe. Stratton had two brothers, Dr. Robert Carver Bone and Harold Gordon Bone. Stratton married Martha (Marty) Smith on February 20, 1974. They have one son, Doug Bone. Stratton graduated from Lebanon High School. He received his associate’s degree from Cumberland College in 1958 and bachelor’s degree in animal husbandry in 1961 from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville where he was a member of the Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity. He is a lifetime member of the First Presbyterian Church in Lebanon. Stratton farmed all his life primarily focusing on raising beef cattle, worked in Residential Construction and was a member of the Tennessee Air National Guard.
He served on the Wilson County Commission from 1969-1978 and 1982-1996. He was one of the commissioners that recommended the purchase of the land for the James E. Ward Agricultural Center in 1974. In addition, he served on the James E. Ward Center Management Committee from 1993 to 1997.
He was elected to the Tennessee State House of Representatives representing the 46th District (Cannon, Trousdale, and part of Wilson Counties) in 1997- 2010 in the 100th through 106th General Assemblies. He served as Chair of the House Agriculture Committee as a member of the House Finance Ways and Means Committee and the House Calendar and Rules Committee and the Joint Committee on Pensions and Insurance. In 2001, he started the first Ag Day on The Hill to draw attention to the importance of Agriculture in Tennessee. He arranged to bring "Millie" the first cloned calf in the United States from the University of Tennessee to the Capitol for the event.
In 2005, he sponsored the legislation creating the Tennessee Agricultural Enhancement Program (TAEP). Since its inception, this program has provided over $289 million to farmers in all 95 Tennessee Counties to conduct over 92,500 projects for the purpose of making long term investments on farms and rural communities.
Over the years, Stratton has been a member of the Lebanon-Wilson County Chamber of Commerce, Lebanon-Wilson County Development Board, Hartsville -Trousdale County Chamber of Commerce, Historic Cannon County Chamber of Commerce, Lebanon Noon Rotary Club, Wilson County Library Board, Highland Rim Library Board, Wilson County Farm Bureau, Wilson Couty Livestock Association, Wilson Farmers’ Cooperative, Wilson County Soil Conservation Board, Wilson County Antique Power Association, the Tennessee Cattlemen’s Association, Rehabilitation Corporation of Tennessee Board and the University of Tennessee Agriculture Development Board.
Stratton has been honored by numerous organizations with the following awards: Honorary State FFA Degree , Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity Hall of Fame, Distinguished Alumni of UT Block and Bridle Award , TN Veterinary Medical Association Presidents Award, TN Angus Association Distinguished Service Award, TN Forestry Association Legislator of the Year Award, American Heart Association Advocate of the Year, The Adjutant Generals Distinguished Patriot Award, The National Guard Charles Dick Metal of Merit Award, Tennessee Development District Association Legislator of the Year Award, County Officials Association Outstanding State Representative, City of Lebanon Leadership Award, Lebanon High School Distinguished Alumni Award, Lebanon Special School District Business Education Friend Award, Watertown FFA Honorary Chapter FFA Degree and the Long Rifle Award of the Boy Scouts of America.
1938
Married: Martha (Marty) Smith
1 Child: Doug Bone
Sam Stratton Bone, Jr, was born in Lebanon, TN on April 12, 1938, to parents Sam Stratton Bone, Sr, and Margaret Frances Talley Bone. Stratton had two brothers, Dr. Robert Carver Bone and Harold Gordon Bone. Stratton married Martha (Marty) Smith on February 20, 1974. They have one son, Doug Bone. Stratton graduated from Lebanon High School. He received his associate’s degree from Cumberland College in 1958 and bachelor’s degree in animal husbandry in 1961 from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville where he was a member of the Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity. He is a lifetime member of the First Presbyterian Church in Lebanon. Stratton farmed all his life primarily focusing on raising beef cattle, worked in Residential Construction and was a member of the Tennessee Air National Guard. He served on the Wilson County Commission from 1969-1978 and 1982-1996. He was one of the commissioners that recommended the purchase of the land for the James E. Ward Agricultural Center in 1974. In addition, he served on the James E. Ward Center Management Committee 1993-1997. He was elected to the Tennessee State House of Representatives representing the 46th District (Cannon, Trousdale, and part of Wilson Counties) from 1997 to 2010 in the 100th through 106th General Assemblies. He served as Chair of the House Agriculture Committee as a member of the House Finance Ways and Means Committee and the House Calendar and Rules Committee and the Joint Committee on Pensions and Insurance. In 2001, he started the first Ag Day on The Hill to draw attention to the importance of Agriculture in Tennessee. He arranged to bring "Millie" the first cloned calf in the United States from the University of Tennessee to the Capitol for the event. In 2005, he sponsored the legislation creating the Tennessee Agricultural Enhancement Program (TAEP). Since its inception, this program has provided over $289 million to farmers in all 95 Tennessee Counties to conduct over 92,500 projects for the purpose of making long term investments on farms and rural communities.
