Strom Thurmond

Strom Thurmond
Official Senate picture, 1983
United States Senator from South Carolina
In office November 7, 1956 – January 3, 2003
Preceded by	Thomas A. Wofford
Succeeded by	Lindsey Graham
In office December 24, 1954 – April 4, 1956
Preceded by	Charles E. Daniel
Succeeded by	Thomas A. Wofford
President pro tempore emeritus of the United States Senate
In office June 6, 2001 – January 3, 2003
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Robert Byrd (2007)
President pro tempore of the United States Senate
In office January 3, 1981 – January 3, 1987
Preceded by	Warren G. Magnuson
Succeeded by	John C. Stennis
In office January 3, 1995 – January 3, 2001
Preceded by	Robert Byrd
Succeeded by	Robert Byrd
In office January 20, 2001 – June 6, 2001
Preceded by	Robert Byrd
Succeeded by	Robert Byrd
103rd Governor of South Carolina
In office January 21, 1947 – January 16, 1951
Lieutenant	George Bell Timmerman, Jr.
Preceded by	Ransome Judson Williams
Succeeded by	James F. Byrnes
Member of the South Carolina Senate from Edgefield County
In office January 10, 1933 – January 14, 1938
Preceded by	Thomas Benjamin Greneker
Succeeded by	William Preston Yonce
Personal details
Born	James Strom Thurmond (1902-12-05)December 5, 1902 Edgefield, South Carolina, U.S.
Died	June 26, 2003(2003-06-26) (aged 100) Edgefield, South Carolina, U.S.
Resting place	Willowbrook Cemetery, Edgefield, South Carolina
Political party	Democratic (before 1964) Republican (1964–2003)
Other political affiliations	Dixiecrat (1948)
Spouse(s)	Jean Crouch (m. 1947–60) Nancy Moore (m. 1968–2003); his death
Children	Essie Mae Nancy Moore, Jr. James Strom, Jr. Juliana Paul Reynolds
Alma mater	Clemson University
Profession	Teacher Lawyer
Religion	Southern Baptist
Awards	Legion of Merit (2) Bronze Star with valor Purple Heart World War II Victory Medal European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal Order of the Crown Croix de Guerre
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Army United States Army Reserves
Years of service	1924–1964
Rank	Major General
Battles/wars	World War II *Normandy Campaign

James Strom Thurmond (December 5, 1902 – June 26, 2003) was an American politician who served for 48 years as a United States Senator from South Carolina. He ran for president in 1948 as the States Rights Democratic Party candidate, receiving 2.4% of the popular vote and 39 electoral votes. Thurmond represented South Carolina in the United States Senate from 1954 until 2003, at first as a Democrat and, after 1964, as a Republican.

A magnet for controversy during his nearly half-century Senate career, Thurmond switched parties because of his opposition to the 1964 Civil Rights Act, disaffection with the liberalism of the national party, and his support for the conservatism of the Republican presidential candidate Senator Barry Goldwater. He left office as the only member of either house of Congress to reach the age of 100 while still in office, and as the oldest-serving and longest-serving senator in U.S. history (although he was later surpassed in length of service by Robert Byrd and Daniel Inouye). Thurmond holds the record as the longest-serving member of Congress to serve exclusively in the Senate. He is also the longest-serving Republican member of Congress in U.S. history. At 14 years, he was also the longest-serving Dean of the United States Senate in U.S. history.

In opposition to the Civil Rights Act of 1957, he conducted the longest filibuster ever by a lone senator, at 24 hours and 18 minutes in length, nonstop. In the 1960s, he opposed the civil rights legislation of 1964 and 1965 to end segregation and enforce the constitutional rights of African-American citizens, including suffrage. He invariably insisted he had never been a racist, but was opposed to excessive federal authority. He attributed the movement to Communist agitators. In 1948, Thurmond said: