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Tennessee State Library and Archives Office of the First Lady: Andrea Conte Papers, 2003-2011 RG

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Tennessee State Library and Archives Office of the First Lady: Andrea Conte Papers, 2003-2011 RG State of Tennessee Department of State Tennessee State Library and Archives Office of the First Lady: Andrea Conte Papers, 2003-2011 RG 335 COLLECTION SUMMARY Creator: Conte, Andrea, 1941- Inclusive Dates: 2003-2011 Scope & Content: The Office of the First Lady: Andrea Conte Papers, 2003-2011, cover Conte’s eight years as First Lady and are filed in fifteen boxes. Several key events are covered in these papers, including items relating to the 2008 presidential debate held at Belmont University; the 2003, 2007, and 2011 gubernatorial inaugurations; and the restoration of the Tennessee Executive Residence. The residence restoration was a controversial issue for local media, and the correspondence from opposing sides reflects this. The First Lady spearheaded the initiative to restore the aging Governor’s Mansion in 2003. Several boxes of material pertain to this project, which include grant proposals, press releases, schedules, magazines, newspaper clippings, blueprints, architectural designs, and correspondence from taxpayers, contractors, builders, and politicians. A photocopy of the original construction manual from the Wills Mansion, as it was known then, is among the items. Along with the restoration of the Tennessee Executive Residence, First Lady Andrea Conte devoted a large amount of time to helping children and raising awareness of child abuse. Her vehicle for this was Andrea Walks, a day by day trek that covered the state’s three Grand Divisions. The First Lady spoke at many events to raise awareness of the issue in addition to being the force behind Andrea Walks. Materials pertaining to the initiative are primarily schedules of daily events, correspondence, and photographs. Physical Description/Extent: 7.5 cubic feet Accession/Record Group Number: RG 335 Language: English Permanent Location: RG 335 Repository: Tennessee State Library and Archives, 403 Seventh Avenue North, Nashville, Tennessee, 37243-0312 Administrative/Biographical History Andrea Conte was born on February 13, 1941, in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, to Louis and Rosalie Conte. Andrea graduated from Searles High School in 1958. Following that she spent time training as a nurse at Mercy Hospital in Springfield, Massachusetts, where she became a registered nurse after three years. Continuing her education and career, Andrea graduated with a bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of Washington in 1968. Andrea Conte and Philip Bredesen married in Wheatley, Oxfordshire, England, on November 22, 1974. Conte acquired a management position at Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) located in Nashville, which became their home in 1975. She also had managerial duties for the former accounting firm of Ernst & Whinney. Andrea received her master’s degree in Business Administration from the former University of Tennessee at Nashville, now Tennessee State University, in 1983. The couple’s only child, Benjamin Bredesen, was born in 1980. On December 7, 1988, Conte was kidnapped in the parking lot outside Conte Phillips, the retail store and cooking school that she owned and operated. As the assailant sped away with Andrea, she fought back and eventually escaped the moving vehicle. While Andrea survived, her attacker fled; nearly a year later, he was caught and convicted after murdering a woman in a Nashville park. Conte’s experience was traumatic yet empowering, inspiring her efforts toward helping victims of abuse. She founded You Have the Power…Know How to Use It! a not- for-profit organization designed to heighten awareness and promote advocacy of victims’ rights, in 1993. Andrea Conte found herself in a new role as First Lady of Nashville after her husband Phil Bredesen won the Nashville mayoral election in 1991. During Bredesen’s eight years as mayor, Nashville grew rapidly. The addition of the new Nashville Arena in downtown spurred this growth. In 1997 it became the home of the new National Hockey League team, the Nashville Predators. The arena also was used as an entertainment venue for concerts and other events, and it played a key role in revitalizing downtown hotspots along Second Avenue and Broadway. Mayor Bredesen initiated the building of a professional football stadium for the National Football League team, the Tennessee Titans (formerly the Houston Oilers), after a much debated battle to bring the Oilers to Nashville. In addition to these new sports and entertainment venues, Mayor Bredesen made it possible to build a new main public library branch in downtown Nashville. These additions helped jumpstart Nashville’s rise to prominence in the new South. As First Lady of Nashville, Andrea Conte created a domestic violence response team as part of the Metro Police squad. The team continues to serve as a model for other police departments across the country. The domestic violence response team is credited for being a factor in the reduction of domestic murder rates in Nashville. Following Bredesen’s tenure as mayor, the Bredesen family ventured back into politics in the 2001 gubernatorial campaign. Phil Bredesen defeated Republican U.S. Representative Van Hilleary (4th Congressional District) and was elected governor. As First Lady of Tennessee, Andrea Conte hoped to accomplish many things for the state. One of her biggest projects was the restoration and preservation of the Tennessee Executive Residence. Andrea was able to restore and preserve the historic home by using both federal money and state tax dollars for improvements and renovations required by the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act). Along with the much needed upkeep, Andrea was the planning force behind the building of Conservation Hall. Conservation Hall was built underground in the front yard of the residence using a bid-winning, energy-efficient design by Memphis architecture firm, archimania. The hall serves as a conference and banquet room for dinners and other functions and can hold up to 160 people. The underground facility was built because the Executive Residence had no banquet or conference room; previously all functions had been outdoors under tents. Andrea decided it would be more suitable to host functions in the hall rather than setting up tents, allowing her to better manage events in the residence. Conservation Hall effortlessly combines utility with modern architectural principles including a glass atrium and an open courtyard. It contains many pieces of art along with historic photographs of Tennessee’s prominent past politicians, United States congressional representatives, and presidents. Along with update and renovation of the Executive Residence, Conte became an even greater advocate for victims’ rights through her actions as First Lady of Tennessee. One of her creations as an avid advocate came in August 2003, with the establishment of the Commission on Crime Victims Assistance. A statewide citizen commission, which is tasked with giving recommendations and advice on benefits and others issues associated with the Criminal Injuries Compensation Fund. In addition to her previous work for victims’ rights, Andrea started “A Season to Remember,” an annual holiday ceremony that celebrates the lives and memories of victims and their friends and families. She also organized the first annual Andrea Walks for Tennessee’s Children in 2004, a 605-mile trek across the state. Traveling from Memphis to Bristol, she promoted National Child Abuse Prevention Month and raised money and awareness for Tennessee Children’s Advocacy Centers. Andrea Conte was awarded the National Crime Victim Service Award in April 2008 by U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey for her work in victim advocacy. The award recognized Conte’s “extraordinary efforts in direct services to crime victims.” Organization/Arrangement of Materials The Office of the First Lady: Andrea Conte Papers are arranged by series. Series I: Correspondence is arranged alphabetically by sender. Series II: Events is arranged chronologically by event. Series III: Media is arranged chronologically by publication date. Series IV: Scheduling is arranged chronologically. Series V: Tennessee Executive Residence Restoration is arranged alphabetically by subject. Conditions of Access and Use Restrictions on Access: No restrictions. Restrictions on Use and Reproduction: While the Tennessee State Library and Archives houses an item, it does not necessarily hold the copyright on the item, nor may it be able to determine if the item is still protected under current copyright law. Users are solely responsible for determining the existence of such instances and for obtaining any other permissions and paying associated fees that may be necessary for the intended use. Index Terms Personal Names: Bredesen, Phil, 1943- Conte, Andrea, 1941- Mukasey, Michael Bernard, 1941- Corporate Names/Organizations/Government Bodies: Boy Scouts of America ChildHelp USA Corrections Corporation of America Girl Scouts of America National Children’s Alliance National Children’s Advocacy Center National Institute of Corrections (U.S.) National Trust for Historic Preservation in the United States Oak Ridge National Laboratory Public Library of Nashville and Davidson County Save the Children (U.S.) Scholastic Inc. Tennessee. Administrative Office of the Courts Tennessee Arts Commission Tennessee Art Education Association Tennessee Association of Chiefs of Police Tennessee. Board of Probation and Parole Tennessee. Chancery Court Tennessee. Department of Children’s Services Tennessee. Department of Finance and Administration Tennessee. Department of Labor and
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