James Strom Thurmond was born in Edgefield, S.C., on December 5,
1902. He graduated from Clemson College, studied law, and served
as city and county attorney before being elected to the South
Carolina state senate in 1932. Following military duty during
World War II, Thurmond served as governor of South Carolina,
1947 to 1951. In 1948, he left the Democratic Party to run for
president as the States’ Rights Democrat candidate, winning four
states. When South Carolina Senator Burnet Maybank died in 1954,
the state Democratic Party selected Edgar Brown as a
replacement, arguing there was insufficient time before the
election to hold a primary. Thurmond challenged Brown in the
November election, pledging that if elected he would resign to
run in the next primary election. He won the seat as a write-in
vote. He carried out his pledge in 1956, winning the primary and
the general election, this time to fill the vacancy caused by
his own resignation. He joined the Republican Party in 1964.
Thurmond’s Senate career wa