"Robert Smith Sanders Marker"

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Robert Smith Sanders (1927-2006) was a well-known Murfreesboro pediatrician and administrator. A marker, located at the Rutherford County Health Department, was erected on September 19, 2018 in tribute to his life and work. Sanders and his wife, Patricia Pelot, encouraged the Tennessee General Assembly to pass the nation’s first children automobile safety law in 1978. He then urged every state to enact the law that would save thousands of lives. Sanders contributed to Tennessee becoming the first state to mandate car seats and baby restraints for children. He was also successful in petitioning to eradicate the “Babes in Arms” amendment in 1981. Dr. Sanders, a graduate of Vanderbilt University, served as the director of Rutherford County Health Department from 1961 to 1991. Sanders died on January 19, 2006.