Drake Edens
| Drake Edens | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Chairman of the South Carolina Republican Party | |
|
In office 1963–1965 |
|
| Preceded by | Robert Foster Chapman |
| Succeeded by | Harry S. Dent, Sr. |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
J. Drake Edens May 13, 1925 |
| Died | July 30, 1982 (aged 57) |
| Cause of death | Drowning |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Ferrell McCracken Edens |
| Children | Jenny Edens Padget; Robert M Edens |
| Alma mater | University of South Carolina |
| Occupation | Engineer, Motivational speaker |
J. Drake Edens, Jr. (May 13, 1925 – July 30, 1982), is recognized by many as the father of the modern South Carolina Republican Party.
Born May 13, 1925 in Blythewood, South Carolina, Edens spent his entire life in the Columbia area. His father had developed the family farm into a supermarket chain, and Edens moved naturally into a management position within the chain, Edens Food Stores. When his career was interrupted by World War II, Edens enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and served from 1943 to 1946, seeing action in the Pacific Theater of Operations. On his return to private life, Edens married Ferrell McCracken (1923-1982), a North Carolina native whom he had met while both were serving in the Marines. Edens enrolled at the University of South Carolina and in 1949 graduated with a degree in Business Administration. In 1955, Edens Food Stores merged with Winn-Dixie, and the following year Edens founded the Edens-Turbeville Agency, which he served as president from 1956 to 1964, when he sold his interest in the company to W. L. Turbeville.
Edens' political interest surfaced in 1960 when he organized a Republican club in his precinct during an exciting campaign year in which John F. Kennedy, to the great surprise of most political observers, carried South Carolina over Vice-President Richard M. Nixon. Stimulated by his entry into the world of politics, Edens helped elect Charles E. Boineau, Jr., to the South Carolina General Assembly in 1961, serving as campaign co-chair. Boineau became the first Republican member of the General Assembly in the twentieth century. Reflecting in 1976 upon his entry into politics, Edens wrote Strom Thurmond: "The major concern that caused me to become active in the Republican Party years ago was the question of deficit spending by the Federal Government. I am still deeply concerned that deficit spending will be the cause of the eventual downfall of our country."
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