Tony Thurmond: “last week, as most people visited family and friends, enjoying the especially festive days between Christmas and New…”

“last week, as most people visited family and friends, enjoying the especially festive days between Christmas and New Year's, hundreds of South Carolinians, including myself, were saddened to learn of the death of a truly remarkable and legendary person--Marshall B. Williams. For almost 50 years, this man faithfully served the people of the Palmetto State as a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives and the South Carolina Senate. His easy going style and desire to build consensus among his colleagues made him an especially effective legislator and helped to ensure his re-election year after year. As a matter of fact, his longevity in the South Carolina Senate earned him the distinction of not only serving as that body's President pro tempore, but the Nation's longest serving State official. While I have known the Williams family much of my life, I did not really come to know Marshall until 1928 when he visited his sister who lived in Ridge Spring, SC. About 20 years later, in 1947, we both found ourselves serving in State government. I had just been elected as Governor of South Carolina and Marshall was in his first term as a member of the House, being close in age as well as single, we quickly became good friends. It was a friendship that I valued and one which literally lasted a lifetime.”