Pete Sessions: “I rise today as we remember the Honorable Senator from South Carolina, Strom Thurmond. The accomplishments of this man…”

“I rise today as we remember the Honorable Senator from South Carolina, Strom Thurmond. The accomplishments of this man in his 100 years of life were truly amazing. All that he did for his State and our Nation make all Americans proud. He was a vigorous, positive person who unrelentingly worked for a better America. Senator Thurmond was born on December 5, 1902 in Edgefield, SC. He received his undergraduate degree from then Clemson College, now Clemson University, in 1923. He studied law under his father, Judge William Thurmond and, in 1930, was admitted to the South Carolina Bar. For 8 years, from 1930 to 1938, he served as the Edgefield Town and County attorney, and during that time, from 1933 to 1938, he served as South Carolina State Senator, representing Edgefield County. A true patriot, Senator Thurmond joined the U.S. Army Reserve as a 2nd lieutenant in 1924. He landed in Normandy on D-Day with the 82nd Airborne Division during World War II. For his military service, he earned 18 decorations, medals, and awards, including the Legion of Merit with Oak Leaf Cluster, Bronze Star for Valor, and the Purple Heart, among others. His political ambitions flourished when, in 1947, Senator Thurmond was elected Governor of South Carolina. In 1948, he decided to run for President of the United States as the States Rights Democratic candidate. He carried 4 States and received 39 electoral votes, the third largest independent electoral vote in U.S. history.”