Tony Thurmond: “it hardly seems that almost 43 years have passed since December 24, 1954, when I first became a U.S. Senator by raising…”

“it hardly seems that almost 43 years have passed since December 24, 1954, when I first became a U.S. Senator by raising my right hand and taking the oath of office from then Vice President Richard Nixon. Though it is only 527 miles, this is certainly a long way from where I began my career in public service in 1923 as a teacher in a high school in rural McCormick, SC. I am pleased to say that it has been a rewarding and gratifying journey. When I graduated from Clemson College and took my first job, my only ambition in life was to be able to help people. As I worked to educate my students in McCormick--and later in Ridge Spring and in Edgefield--I quickly realized that I could have a greater impact in providing for the learning needs of the children of South Carolina by shaping policy. I ran for, and was elected Edgefield County Superintendent of Education in 1928, and during my tenure in that post, I implemented many measures which raised the standards of education in that county. I also got my first taste of how much impact a person can have through elected office. At that time, South Carolina was an economically challenged place well before the great crash of the stock market which sent the Nation plummeting into the Great Depression. Without trying to sound melodramatic, life was hard back then, the banks were failing, businesses were closing, and people were very concerned about the future.”