Lois Rhame West
| Lois Rhame West | |
|---|---|
| First Lady of South Carolina | |
|
In role January 19, 1971 – January 21, 1975 |
|
| Governor | John C. West |
| Preceded by | Josephine Robinson McNair |
| Succeeded by | Ann Darlington Edwards |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 5, 1921 Camden, South Carolina, U.S. |
| Died | May 6, 2014 (aged 92) Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, U.S. |
| Spouse(s) | John C. West (1942–2004; his death) |
| Alma mater | Winthrop University (1939) |
| Occupation | Health advocate |
Lois Rhame West (September 5, 1921 – May 6, 2014) was an American health and physical fitness advocate, activist, and philanthropist. She served as First Lady of South Carolina from 1971 until 1975 during the administration of her husband, former Governor John C. West. Rhame West, a former faculty member at the University of South Carolina, made physical education and wellness the focus of her tenure as the state's First Lady. West later became the first woman serve as president of the Muscular Dystrophy Association, a position she held for two terms. She served on the Muscular Dystrophy Association's national board of directors for forty years.
West was born Lois Rhame on September 5, 1921, in Camden, South Carolina to Boykin W. and Annie L. Rhame. She graduated from Camden High School in 1939. She enrolled at Winthrop College, a women's college in Rock Hill, South Carolina, which now known Winthrop University. She studied physical education. (Winthrop later became a co-educational school during the 1970s). She was active in collegiate athletics as a member of the women's field hockey, tennis and golf teams. On August 29, 1942, while still a college student, Rhame married John C. West at a ceremony in Fort Monmouth, New Jersey. She became the first Winthrop student to marry while in school and still graduate. Lois West received a bachelor's degree in physical education from Winthrop in 1943, becoming the first married woman to graduate from the college.
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