VU History: In the fire of tragedy with Bill Purcell

Before Vanderbilt, Bill Purcell (JD ’79) attended Hamilton College in Clinton, New York where he was a columnist for the school newspaper.

Jaylan Sims

Graphic of a globe, campus building and the words “VU History: with Jaylan Sims.” (Hustler Multimedia/Jaylan Sims)

By Jaylan Sims, Podcasts Director

Feb 19, 2024

Editor’s note: This piece contains mentions of suicide.

In this episode of VU History, host Jaylan Sims sits down with Bill Purcell (JD ’79), Nashville’s fifth mayor and adjunct professor of public policy at Vanderbilt. In this interview, Purcell opens up about the traumatic experiences he has endured in politics and provides advice on how to lead a successful political career amid a distressing personal life.

Content related to the suicide of Former Tennessee Secretary of State, Gentry Crowell:

The above video was published by The Tennesseean on Oct. 23, 2019, and features an archived report from WKRN’s 6 pm newscast on Dec. 12, 1989. At the time of Crowell’s suicide, he was being investigated by both the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) and TBI (Tennessee Bureau of Investigation). The two law enforcement agencies were investigating possible illegal activity in charity bingo, including the illegal sale of bingo licenses. Rep. Ted Ray Miller (D-Knox) also committed suicide pending legal investigation by law enforcement.

About the Contributor

Jaylan Sims, Podcasts Editor

Jaylan Sims ('26) is from Chattanooga, Tenn., majoring in communication studies and communication of science and technology with a minor in Jewish studies in the College of Arts & Science. When not working for The Hustler, you can catch Jaylan aimlessly roaming around campus. He can be reached at [email protected]

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