The Daily News-Journal from Murfreesboro, Tennessee • Page B1

MIDDLE TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee, left, Oct. 15 discusses the new science building with with Bart Gordon, an MTSU alumnus and former 6th District U.S. representative. THE DAILY NEWS JOURNAL SUNDAY 11 9 14 Some 30 years have passed since former Rep.

Bart Gordon won his seat as a Democrat from Murf reesboro, and seen Congress change since then. unfortunately, the level of congeniality has significantly decreased, and the level of gridlock has said ordon, who retired in early Janu ary 2011as the chairman of the House Science and Technology ommittee after a26-year career i the U.S. House of Representatives for the 6th District. Aproud graduate of Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, the 65-year-old Gordon agreed to give a phone interview Thursday for The Daily News Journal from his office in Washington, District of Columbia: What have you been doing since you left Congress? Gordon: I am a lawyer in a arge international law firm. In addition to that, I am a distin- uished fellow at the Council of ompetitiveness.

also on the Leadership Council at Brookings Institution. on a National Academy of Arts and cience Review of the U.S. D(research and development) nterprise and the National Academies of Science Review of how to bring high energy efficiency and alternative energy to the market. I am on a variety of panels in Washington and a round the country to discuss a umber of issues dealing with either Congress or research and dev elopment. And then in anuary, going to be teaching in France at their Premier Diplomatic School.

I was recently the co-founder of the European American Cultural Foundation. Right after I retired, President (Barack) Obama asked me to be on a commission to review our science at the Antarctic. That was interesting. While I was at the Antarctic, I remember list ening to one of the MTSU basketball games over the Internet. I was probably one of the ew people who have been to both the North Pole and South ole.

With that, my heart is still with Murfreesboro and MTSU. In your last year in Congress after you had announced be retiring, why do you think Republicans on a majority of seats in 2010 to retake control of the U.S. House of Representa- ives? Gordon: There were a varie- of reasons. A lot of it was based upon the repercussions of the Great Recession and a feeling that a Democratic president and Democratic House and Senate had not adequately dealt with the problem. hy do you think Republicans were able to win a major- i ty of seats in the Senate in election? ordon: I think there were wo things.

Part of it was the geography. There were more Democratic senators running this time who were in (states) hat Romney carried. On top of that, it was sort of a typical anti ote for the sixth year of a term. What should be done to improve the government? ordon: First of all, we should have nonpartisan redis- ricting of congressional districts so that we would do away with gerrymandering (when political parties in the majority raw lines to favor their candidates). We need nonpartisan red istricting of districts so that they truly are competitive in the general election, and so they can better represent the general public and not just one party or the other.

An example of that is after the redistricting, even though the Republicans won the most House seats across the country in 2012, Democrats won the most votes. But that was because of highly partisan redistricting. he other real problem now is allowing unlimited anonymous money to flow into elec- Democrat Gordon considers legacy By Scott Broden The Daily News Journal ABOUT BART GORDON Position: Past 26-year member of the U.S. House of Representatives for the 6 th District as a Democrat from Murfreesboro. Now works as an attorney for the Gates law firm in Washington, District of olumbia Age: 65 Education: Attended Hobgood School and Ruther- ord Central High School (now Central Magnet School) in Murfreesboro, graduating in 1967; earned degree from Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro in 1971after ompleting majors in history and political science and nearly completing a minor in economics; also served as the MTSU student body president in 1970-71; earned a law degree from the University of ennessee in Knoxville in 1974 Career: Practiced law, 1974-1983; served as chairman of the Tennessee Democratic Party, 1982 to August 1983; won election to the House of Representatives for the 6 th District in 1984 and served from early January 1985 until retiring in early January 2011 Family: Mother, Margaret Barton Gordon, who resides at Adam- sPlace in Murfreesboro; wife of 16 years, Leslie Peyton Gordon, who works as the global head of investment banking for Korn Ferry (a company that recruits executives); 13-year daughter, Peyton Gordon Two years after the first City closed, a former competitor claimed the name.

The origins of Rest aurant, later known as the City are unclear, but deed rec- rds confirm that it was operat- i ng in 1920 at 11South Side Public Square in Murfreesboro. As ar as can be documented, the antrell family from the Salem community in Rutherford County started the restaurant in a storefront owned by the Spence heirs. For almost 150 years, most the south side of the court- ouse Square was owned by pence family descendants. hese holdings originally ext ended from the corner of hurch Street west at least to what is now 21South Side and south to West Vine Street. In 1 933, the Spence heirs trans- erred these properties to the pence Estate Co.

Within the ast decade what remained of he South Side properties were sold out of the Spence Estate, but Spence descendants still ontrol several properties on outh Church and East Vine.) I the 1920s, Henry and Dors ey Cantrell operated estaurant and the Salem Pike Dairy. They hauled raw milk to he back door of their restau- ant. The milk was processed a nd bottled upstairs over the restaurant. I the early 1930s Henry and he milk bottling moved to a facility on College Street, leaving the South Side restaurant to Dorsey and Tom Funk. (In addition to the restaurant on the quare in the early 1930s, there as Little at 119 College, possibly managed Henry Cantrell.) Attempting a connection bet ween the leading in- ustry and the South Side restaurant, the name was changed from Restaurant to City and promoted as Prid (calf) The upstairs ecame a gambling and drink- i ng venue.

never went ups notes John Womack, one many who enjoyed a sand- ich at the City in the pre- REMEMBERING RUTHERFORD Name duplication confuses two City businesses SUBMITTED The owners of the promoted their business in 1935 by irculating a card making wordplay on Rutherford leading industry. GREG TUCKER bellsouth.net Dorsey Cantrell (1879-1949) lounges the rear deck of the City on he Rutherford County Courthouse quare in 1936..