♪ ♪ Charles Bierbauer> He was a teacher, a judge, a soldier, a governor, then a senator, enduringly a Senator.

And always the name of Strom Thurmond will be linked with South Carolina.

I'm Charles Bierbauer.

Tonight, we'll look back on the life of a man whose accomplishments and longevity and even controversy few will equal.

Joining me is John Courson, a state senator from Richland County and a close friend of the Thurmond family.

Senator Courson, it strikes me in one way that this is not a wake so much as it is a celebration of a rather remarkable life.

Sen. John Courson> Strom Thurmond was remarkable man.

He served this state well as a state senator from 1930 to 1938, as governor from 1946 to 1950, and as United States Senator from 1954 until 2000.

He was elected nine times in the United States Senate, and none of the races were close, Charles.

It was a manifestation of the love the people of this state have for Strom Thurmond.

We will never see his likes again in our state.

Charles> What is it that brought you close to the senator and his family?

Sen. John Courson> Well, I was an undergraduate student in 1964 when Barry Goldwater ran for president and Strom Thurmond went on statewide television, endorsed candidacy of Barry Goldwater for the presidency, but also switched parties and became Republican.

He had to run again for re-election in 1966, and there were no elected Republican officials in the Palmetto State in 1964.

There was no Republican infrastructure.

And I said, gosh, this guy has guts.

And plus I liked Goldwater.

So that was the pre-cursor that got me involved.

And I've honored to have been putting bumper stickers on cars for him, climbing telephone poles, putting signs and to be in his, state chairman of his political campaigns and treasurer of his campaign committee.

So it's been a long, long relationship.

Charles> In that relationship, pick something out that strikes you that perhaps not everybody knows about Strom Thurmond.

as much as we seem to know over the span of 100 years, there's probably a lot that is not as, as evident as other things.

Sen. Courson> Well, in a humorous vein, in 1990, when were starting the reelection campaign, we would Senator John Drummond from Greenwood, who was the Democratic chair I was the state chair in Senator Thurmond and I and Nancy, his wife, were flying around the state, and the, the week before the fly-around we contacted Washington and they had the plane lined up and the pilot and, of course, he was president pro tempore for the United States Senate.

And I checked and, and I said one pilot and, and they said yes.

There was a lot, when we were broke, Charles, but how about one million bucks in the bank.

And this was a year out before the campaign, which was a lot of money in 1990.

And, and I used to fly helicopters in the Marines So I don't mind flying, but, I couldn't imagine a president pro tempore flying around with one pilot.

Well, the Senator found out about it as we got on the plane and the pilot got on the plane and said he was doing fine.

His medication for his high blood pressure was working well and John Drummond jumps up in the cockpit and took the fly around with us and Thurmond looks at me and winks and said, now I told my staff to tell you to go by the Strom Thurmond Federal Building and pick up this book about how to fly planes if, in case something happens.

And, well, we took off and and then leaned over and looked at me and said, "That's John Drummond."

He flew fighter...planes in World War Two, and I kept thinking, well, Senator Drummond also was shot down and, but then I heard John Drummond asking the pilot about the, the different instruments and then Strom Thurmond came back and looked at me and said, "John, if you go down, you're going down with Senator Thurmond .

And that's the way it should be.

And there are many humorous stories about, concerning Senator Thurmond, but there were a lot of very serious stories also.

Charles> Well, the thing that struck me and I would watch Senator Thurmond for, for a span of 20 years when I was in Washington as a correspondent.

And every time you would ask anything about Strom Thurmond in this span of time, which was in the 1980s and 1990s, the words that always came back to you were constituency service.

I saw one quote in the past days where he said, "Everything that was honorable to get for South Carolina.

"We got it."

I mean, that's what he did, did he not?

Sen. Courson> He did.

He felt very strongly that, once he was elected, he served people.

It didn't matter whether they were Democrats or Republicans.

And he wanted to bring, programs into South Carolina.

He was extremely effective in doing that.

And he inculcated in the staff that, we represent people.

This seat belongs to the people of the state.

And we are honored to occupy it.

Charles> We're going to spend some time examining the history and the legacy of Strom Thurmond.

I want to spend just a moment here to let people know, what some of the viewing and funeral arrangements will be, that indeed, you've been helping set up.

On Monday, June 30th, the senator's body will lie in state at the statehouse in Columbia from nine in the morning until seven, that evening, and again on Tuesday, July 1st, from 9 to 11 in the morning.

The public is welcome and is invited to sign the guest book.

After 11, the casket will be transported by caisson from the Statehouse to the First Baptist Church on Hampton Street in Columbia.

The public is also welcome at that service.

Immediately following the service, the scene will shift to Edgefield, South Carolina.

There, a caisson again will take the casket from the Edgefield County Courthouse to the Willowbrook Cemetery, where a military burial service will take place.

Anything in particular special about the ceremonies, as you've arranged them?

Obviously, a military burial.

Senator Thurmond served during World War Two, and you've sort of described some of the other things that relate to his, affection for the military, as well.

Sen. Courson> Charles, I think the people of the state, we are opening the Statehouse for three days, as you just mentioned.

The First Baptist Church in Columbia seats 2700 people.

We're encourage them to visit their Statehouse, to pay their respects to Strom Thurmond and the family, and also come to the church service.

This this is a very historic occasion.

The, the again, the Statehouse will be open for very long hours for this.

And, it's a grand opportunity to visit the Statehouse and maybe go out and look at the monuments on the Statehouse grounds.

The General Assembly is not in session, so parking will be ample.

Come visit with us.

Charles> Including a monument to the senator himself.

Sen. Courson> Yes.

And that was, a labor of love that took three years of doing and I was honored to have been chair of that commission.

Charles> Let's take a moment now to look back on the life of James Strom Thurmond.

♪ Narrator> Strom Thurmond, a senator, governor, teacher, a South Carolina legend who will forever be remembered, remembered for a century of service to his beloved Palmetto State.

♪ ♪ Narrator> On December 5th, 1902, in the rural town of Edgefield, South Carolina, a son was born to John and Eleanor Thurmond.

They named him James Strom Thurmond.

Strom Thurmond was one of six brothers and sisters.

He spent his formative years in Edgefield, working on the family farm.

Thurmond graduated from Edgefield High School and left his boyhood home to enroll at then Clemson College.

At Clemson, Thurmond became a cross-country running star.

He studied horticulture and was a member of the ROTC (choir singing) In 1923, Thurmond became the youngest agriculture teacher to graduate from Clemson.

With his degree in hand, Thurmond returned home to Edgefield County, where he worked as a teacher until 1929.

That same year, he won his first election as County Superintendent of Education, but at night Thurmond hit the books studying law under his father.

Thurmond was admitted to the South Carolina bar in 1930.

Three years later, Thurmond was elected to represent Edgefield County in the South Carolina Senate.

He held the office until 1938.

That same year, he was elected to serve as a judge for the 11th Circuit, ♪ but four years into his judgeship, Thurmond traded his black robe for an Army uniform.

As a judge, Thurmond was exempt from wartime service, but he volunteered for duty the day the United States declared war against Germany.

He was called into action in April of 1942.

Thurmond landed in Europe on D-Day on assignment with the 82nd Airborne Division.

He fought in the battle of the bulge.

At the war's end, he was a highly decorated soldier.

Among his awards, five battle stars, the Purple Heart, and the Bronze Star for valor.

Once back home, Thurmond prepared to do battle on the political front, when he set his sights on the governor's office.

There were 11 candidates in the 1946 governor's race, but Thurmond emerged as the winner.

In a 1974 interview with ETV's Jim Welch, Thurmond talked in depth about his decision to run Jim Welch> What went into your decision to run for governor of South Carolina?

Thurmond> Well, I guess that really goes back a long, a long ways.

I attended a campaign meeting at Edgefield when Ira B Jones and Cole Blease ran for governor in 1912.

And I was just a kid, so to speak.

But anyway, I got interested in politics, and, I saw then if a fellow was going to be successful in politics, he had to learn to speak.

And so I made up my mind, someday I'll run for governor, at that time, if it worked out.

And, and so it appeared to be the appropriate time after I came back from the war, if I ever wanted to run, to run then.

It was either that or stay on for the remainder of my career.

Now, the judgeship was the nicest job, I've ever served in.

Judges are highly respected They have time to do some things you don't have time as an active governor, or United States Senator, but I prefer the more active life.

And, I resigned as judge and decided to take my chances as governor.

One year into his term, Thurmond decided to take another chance.

On November 7th, 1947, Strom Thurmond married Jean Crouch, an aide who worked in his office.

The two were married for 22 years until Crouch's death in 1960.

At the 1948 Democratic National Convention, Thurmond became a nationally known figure.

Thurmond made his mark on history objecting to the nomination of Harry S. Truman for president.

Thurmond emerged as a third party candidate for president.

President Truman came out with a so-called civil rights program, which I felt was completely unconstitutional.

I believe in true civil rights for everybody, but, but he wanted the Congress to pass a law, for instance, an anti-lynching law, well, well, that's a matter for each state.

And.

and there's no jurisdiction.

I felt because lynching is simply murder, and state has laws against murder.

And then, he wanted to move the poll tax by statute.

Well, the Congress never did pass those two laws.

Later, a constitutional amendment was adopted.

But I'm glad to say in South Carolina that I led a movement to remove the poll tax as a prerequisite to voting.

Before that was done, probably 8 to 10 years before the Congress acted, because I didn't want anything to hamper people from voting.

And so the race was between Mr. Truman and... Mr. Dewey.

Mr. Dewey had been nominated by the Republicans.

Well, Mr. Dewey was advocating just about the same principle as Mr. Truman, we felt not too much difference, and we felt that the people didn't have a choice.

And so I agreed to run at the request and behest, if you want to call it, and being drafted by the convention in Birmingham, Alabama.

Narrator> As the state's rights candidate, Thurmond carried four southern states and received 39 electoral votes.

It was the third largest independent electoral vote in U.S. history.

In 1951, Thurmond's term as governor came to an end.

He left Columbia and settled in Aiken to practice law, but his absence from politics would be brief.

In 1954, U.S.

Senator Burnet Rhett Maybank suddenly passed away, leaving his seat open on Capitol Hill.

Thurmond decided to run as a write-in candidate.

Thurmond> No one in history had ever been elected on a write in basis to a major office, and I didn't know whether we had any chance or not.

But there's a principle involved here.

Was the executive committee going to select the United States senator just composed of about 37 or 8 men?

Or were the people going to select the senator?

That was really the issue.

The people of South Carolina wrote Thurmond's name more than 143,000 times.

He defeated the Democratic nominee to become the only person in U.S. history to be elected to a major office by write in ballot.

In the years to follow, Thurmond continued to win election after election in South Carolina.

In 1964, sensing a political shift in his state, Thurmond left the Democratic Party to become a member of the Republican Party.

He played a key role in the so-called Southern Strategy that helped Richard M. Nixon win the White House in 1968.

That same year, Thurmond married Nancy Moore.

Nancy Moore> Our wedding took place on Sunday afternoon, December 22nd, at the First Presbyterian Church in Aiken.

Minister> Therefore, by the authority committed unto me as a minister of Christ, I pronounce them to be husband and wife, according to the ordinance of God, in the name of the father, and of the son, and of the Holy Spirit.

♪ At 66, Thurmond became a first time father.

Nancy Moore was born in 1971.

Three siblings followed, J. Strom, Julie, and Paul.

Thurmond proved to be a tireless father.

Thurmond> He just turned two.

And how is Julie?

She's six months old, isn't she?

Narrator> He carefully balanced the demands of family life and the challenges of Capitol Hill.

♪ Over the years, his influence and power grew in Washington.

♪ He served as chairman of the Judiciary Committee.

♪ And was chairman of the powerful Armed Services Committee.

♪ Thurmond also carried the title of president pro tempore of the US Senate.

♪ Thurmond became a legend of his time.

Throughout his tenure, Thurmond's younger counterparts in the Senate expressed amazed at his energy and commitment to the people of South Carolina.

♪ >> When he asked that something be done, it's done.

When he calls the president, his call is not just taken, his advice is taken >> Strom when he gets into an issue, doesn't let go of it.

He fights it all the way.

And he is very, very effective.

♪ Narrator> In a 1982 interview, Thurmond reflected on what fueled his passion for political life.

♪ Thurmond> I get a tremendous thrill out of helping somebody with a problem, and we have hundreds of people here every month and maybe getting a boy home when their father's died.

He's overseas and, and there's some trouble knowing what to do and how to go about it.

And, and we do it promptly.

It may be helping some person, who's entitled to Social Security, but the bureaucracy has gotten in the way and delayed it, and we take it up and, and we generally get it through promptly.

Those are just samples of hundreds of problems that we help people solve.

And I get a great pleasure out of, out of legislation that I think helps to adhere to the Constitution and make our system adhere to the Constitution.

♪ Narrator> His office walls serve as a testament to his life of public service, a man who served under every president since Franklin Roosevelt.

♪ A man who helped transform South Carolina from the rural state he knew as a boy to a thriving industrial community.

♪ In 1999, the Palmetto State recognized Thurmond for a lifetime of selfless service.

♪ As a tribute to the senator, a bronze statue of Thurmond was unveiled on the South Carolina Statehouse grounds.

Thurmond> ...so many people have worked so hard to make today's event a reality.

And a success, and I would like to thank each and every one of you, each and every one of you, for being here and for efforts made by all of you.

This monument is a flattering gesture, Now, I am proud that I will join other South Carolinians who are represented across the Capitol grounds.

Ladies and gentlemen, again, I say, no state in the nation has a finer history or greater record of service to our nation than South Carolina.

I won't take time to go into the details, but I just want to tell you, you can be proud, you are South Carolinian.

You can be proud to live in South Carolina, and you can be proud to look into the future and say, I was there.

I was a South Carolinian.

Thank you very much.

(applause) Narrator> A sense of pride, Strom Thurmond knew very well.

But despite all his accomplishments, over nearly a century of service, Thurmond in a 1982 interview, summed up his lifetime with one humble thought Interviewer> How would you like to be remembered?

♪ Thurmond> As one who loves his country and one who loves his God and loves his family.

♪ Charles> And it's not easy to compress 100 years into 14 minutes.

But.

But, Senator Courson there's so much more that can and almost needs to be said about even the transformation that took place within Strom Thurmond.

The New York Times writing its obituary, used in its headline very simple words Strom Thurmond, 100, Senator and full of integration.

That full of integration is still almost inextricably attached to him because of that period in his, in his history.

And you heard him refer to in the 1948 campaign, the so-called civil rights program of Harry Truman.

Sen. Courson>- Charles, let me address this one.

Nothing- Charles> I would like you to address it.

Sen. Courson> First, in 1968, when Governor Wallace of Alabama, who was running on a segregationist ticket, was doing very well in the South, Strom Thurmond at great political risk, went out of campaigning for the Republican nominee carried 3 or 4 states, and Dixie, for the Republican candidate and kept Governor Wallace from creating a constitutional crisis in Washington.

He took on a segregationist candidate.

The manifestation that people of this state feel about him is, is emblematic in the General Assembly.

We have passed two resolutions since I've been in the Senate.

One is to display a portrait of Strom Thurmond, which is, hangs in the South Carolina Senate, paid for through private funds.

It passed the Senate unanimously, 46 to nothing, with all senators being sponsors Black senators and a White senators.

We built a monument to honor Strom Thurmond, which was dedicated December 4th, 1999, on the Statehouse grounds paid for with private funds.

That resolution passed the House and the Senate unanimously.

Blacks, Democrats, White Republicans, White Democrats all joined together to honor Strom Thurmond.

In his political campaign.

He's had endorsements by Black Democrats for political office.

The New York Times, frankly, is irrelevant to what is happening in South Carolina.

Charles> I was struck by, similarly, a comment that was made by, Congressman Jim Clyburn, on the senator's passing, who said the Senator Thurmond was symbolic of the Old South.

But his willingness to change over time set an example for many South Carolinians.

And what I was asking really, was this transformation, what it was.

And I talked, I was having a conversation with a, an African-American woman today who said he changed, and I kind of like it.

And, and you do hear that.

And this has been my experience in the short time that I've been in South Carolina, is that people acknowledge that, that change took place.

What, what created that?

Sen. Courson> I think that Senator Thurmond held to his basic conservative principles throughout his lifetime.

But if one goes back and look at his political career and if one does it objectively, he was a reformed governor in South Carolina.

He was the first educational governor.

He has given hundreds of thousands of dollars to needy and worthy students to pursue a higher education.

in the Palmetto State, He eliminated a poll tax.

He is a conservative, a conservative reformer.

And I think so often the race connotation if one is conservative, I am a conservative, but I also supported Colin Powell for president of the United States in 1996, if he wanted to run.

They, they assumed because if one is conservative, one is as a racist.

The two words do not connect.

Strom Thurmond would not have won Charles, nine statewide campaigns for the United States Senate, none of them being close, if people perceived him as being out of the norm in the Palmetto State.

Charles> Was he an idealist or a realist?

Sen. Courson> He was a visionary.

And his, and I think as far as public policy is concerned, his vision is in education.

He stressed it.

He stressed it.

He stressed it.

Secondly, the military component, he was a strong advocate of a strong military.

This has proven needed now more than ever with the terrorism activity and the international crises that exist.

Because of Strom Thurmond and others, we at least have, we have a strong military and hopefully we can win this war on terrorism.

Charles> What else enters into the mix here?

What else becomes the legacy of Strom Thurmond?

Sen. Courson> I think the human element, and the reason he connects well with the people of South Carolina is the fact that, intestinal fortitude, which is, another way of saying guts and secondly, integrity.

There's been no hint of scandal in his public service, period.

And honestly, the, the fact that he does when people call him and he inculcated this in all of us that when people called him for service, he didn't care whether you were a Black, White, Democrat or Republican, He responded to that service.

Charles> And I've seen that happen.

I've watched him relate with, with people from South Carolina.

One of the things I did in Washington was at the time when he became the longest serving senator, did an interview with him.

I asked him what he attributed that to.

I think it was mostly sit ups and oatmeal every morning.

But, but there was that kind of, of, of relationship and, and you could see that, as people would come Sen. Courson> Also prune juice, not forget prune juice.

Charles> I'd like to forget the prune juice, but, the family at this stage Sen. Courson> I conversed with, Strom Thurmond Jr. last evening.

He's conversed from office this morning.

We talked.

I talked to Mr. Strom and Nancy.

They are fine.

Sad.

This is a period of mourning for the family.

But he's 100 years old, and this was not unexpected.

Charles> Senator Courson, thank you very much for being with us and sharing your thoughts.

Appreciate that at this particular time.

Sen. Courson> Honored.

Thank you, Charles.

Charles> Over the years, South Carolina Educational Television has chronicled the life of Strom Thurmond in a variety of interviews.

In November of 1973, Charleston News and Courier Statehouse reporter John Coffin was interviewed by ETV's Gene Upright about Senator Thurmond, in the program, John Cauthen's Journal.

Here is that program from 1973.

♪ The Journal of John K. Cauthen.

♪ Going on firsthand experience as journalist, radio commentator and service to government and industry, Mr. Cauthen reports his firsthand impressions of South Carolina over three and a half decades.

♪ Gene Upright> Mr. Cauthen we're interested in your observations about the United States Senator Strom Thurmond.

I know that your career as a journalist in the 40s and your work as textile executive brought you close to Senator Thurmond, particularly close to his career.

Now, he's been a man of all parties and in fact, made one of his own.

What are your impressions of Senator Thurmond as a man?

What is he really like?

Sen. Cauthen> Gene, Senator Thurmond is an extremely difficult man to analyze as a personality.

He's what we all call, a loner.

He has no machine, as such, like most politicians, he has, taken his own positions.

He's taken strong positions.

He has never hesitated to, to become a center of, of a controversy, and has emerged from most controversies, very successfully, so it's hard to argue against success.

Gene> I know his background.

The senator has been a textile worker.

He's been a lawyer.

He's been a farmer, He served as governor in the 40s and went back to Aiken to practice law and then to the United States Senate, I believe, in 1954.

I know that, your friend, Speaker Blatt, often says that he looks forward to the day when people will vote for the man and not the party.

I believe South Carolinians have indicated that perhaps they do that, in the case of Senator Thurmond, because he was a Democrat.

He was a Dixiecrat.

Now, a Republican.

Sen. Cauthen> Well, I think, Thurmond has proved that he can be elected under any banner, under which he runs.

His first elective office was as county superintendent of education of, Edgefield County, County superintendent of education.

He, had before that been a schoolteacher for two or three years.

Then he came to the state Senate, was elected, a circuit judge.

Resigned the judgeship on the first day of World War Two to enlist in the United States Army.

That, in itself was characteristic of, Senator Thurmond.

He never hesitated to move and move promptly when he saw an opening.

He was a good broker dealer runner as we might say, in football.

He, defeated some, some very powerful politicians in South Carolina.

He never lost but one race.

He was defeated once for the United States Senator Olin Johnston, but, other good men were defeated by Olin Johnston, too, including me.

One of our present incumbents, Fritz Hollings, "Cotton Ed" Smith, was defeated by Olin Johnston in their final race.

It's true, but Smith, never did, relinquish his seat in the United States Senate, because he died before his term ended.

But Johnston had, already unseated it.

Thurmond was the type of man who had very few friends among the, professional politicians.

There could be many reasons for that.

The fact that he did not fraternize with them, didn't have to fraternize with them to be successful in politics.

He wasn't part of the team.

Even as a state senator.

He stood alone on things.

He was certainly, one of, he has certainly been one of the truly remarkable, politicians or statesmen whatever you care to, what term you care to use of this century and perhaps of all times in South Carolina.

Gene> Mr. Cauthen, I believe you told me that a friend of yours made the observation that Senator Thurmond was a mathematical, politician.

Sen. Cauthen> Yes, he is.

He really takes out the pad and pencil and he figures out, what vote he may get this way, from this, particular segment of the population and what vote from another.

He adds it up and he draws his percentages.

I don't know just how he goes about that, but, it works too.

So his mathematics must be good.

His school teaching path helped him politically later.

Gene> I know among his important committee assignments in Washington, he serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee, and, I believe on the Committee for Defense Appropriations.

He has had a, rather distinguished military career, and I believe in World War Two, on D-Day, volunteered to be dropped behind the enemy lines, German lines with the 82nd Airborne Division.

He has a deep interest in the Vietnam War and, often puts down what he has called a no win policy.

What about his career, his influence in these matters of world affairs?

Sen. Cauthen> Well, he's been regarded as one of the, man hawks in Washington.

Being sort of hawkish myself, I'm glad of it, because he's had great influence in military matters in Washington.

He has close relationships in the Pentagon.

He has been a major general in the Reserve Corps of the Army.

And going back to his World War Two service, he parachuted into Normandy in the invasion, was wounded.

He won a number of, of honors during World War Two, for bravery and other distinguished service.

As a soldier, he, was highly regarded and had, high seniority, on the Armed Forces Committee.

He is highly regarded on the Armed Forces Committee.

So he's done valuable service to this country, standing up for a proper defense.

I think more of his kind, may be necessary in the future.

So many people, take the position that, that, we should have peace.

We, we all want peace, but, we cannot guarantee peace, by simply disarming ourselves and, and becoming weak militarily.

Like Mendel Rivers, Mendel was chairman of the Armed Forces Committee.

South Carolinians have played a great role in the national defense of this country, and certainly none has played, *a greater role than...Thurmond, and, of course, Mendel Rivers.

Gene> Mr. Cauthen, later, I'd like to your observations on, Senator Thurmond's effectiveness at the national scene.

We know he's had a great influence with President Nixon.

But I would like... back in the 40s, you were close to the senator and knew Senator Thurmond's first wife, who died of a tragic illness.

What was the first Mrs. Thurmond like?

Sen. Cauthen> She was a, first of all, a very beautiful, attractive young woman.

She was very popular with all who knew her.

I was extremely fond of her.

She was kind to everybody She was always cordial.

She was an expert politician in the sense that, she, complimented her, her husband and his campaign.

And her death was, was very tragic.

I recall this little personal hand.

I had in one phase of her last illness.

She was, had become quite ill in Washington.

The senator wanted to get her back home to Aiken.

As it turned out, she came back home to die on this particular occasion, he wanted transportation for her by air.

He, didn't want a, military plane or anything like that.

He telephoned me to see if I could arrange transportation on a private airplane.

A number of textiles companies had, and do have private planes.

I did through the J.P. Stevens company, arranged for, a plane that was large enough to, be converted into a, bedroom, the cabin part of it.

And she flew back to, to Aiken on this plane and, never left Aiken again.

But she was the most charming person.

Gene> Mr. Cauthen, Senator Thurmond, we all know, is widely credited with having, delivered several southern states to President Nixon, swinging the election, a close election between President Nixon and Senator Humphrey.

As a result of that, of course, is very close to President Nixon.

Harry Dent, of course, has been a presidential advisor following that election and is still active, with President Nixon.

How would you assess, Senator Thurmond's influence with President Nixon?

Sen. Cauthen> Gene, probably, to put it quickly, there, I think the, the most significant things have been the appointments of South Carolinians to important jobs in Washington.

Clement Haynsworth was appointed to Supreme Court.

That didn't work out.

Then it was Harry Dent who was put in, right at Thurmond's, right hand, at Nixon's right hand in the White House.

And Harry, of course, had been Strom's, executive secretary for a great many years while he was in the United States Senate as a Democrat and then as a Republican.

Another factor, that I think needs a little more explaining that good South Carolinians haven't appreciated is that while, Thurmond got great national attention as the man who put Agnew across as the vice presidential nomination, certainly he had a big hand in that.

Nobody doubts that.

But they've forgotten perhaps many people that, that Thurmond was very, very important, in winning, southeastern delegates at Miami Beach, away from the Ronald Reagan to Nixon.

There was a time when Reagan was a right, formidable opponent.

Among those that he switched was Harry Dent, his own secretary.

Harry was working hard for Ronald Reagan.

But, Reagan, of course, was gotten out of the race.

And it was certainly not that Thurmond had anything against Reagan, but that he just felt that Nixon stood a much better chance of election than, than Reagan.

Then once again, you can't fight success.

He was right.

And Thurmond has been right on so many things, as it's panned out that, you can't deny the man's, I'm going to use the word again because it's, it's so apt.

His remarkable capacity as a politician, and I think many would regard it as being I would regard Thurmond as being a great statesman.

I do know that he has been a successful man, in winning public office and holding the public office and frightening off the opposition most of the time.

Gene> It was interesting, for me to watch Senator Thurmond through the years, especially in Washington and, the way he seems to coin a phrase that catches the public attention, the way he directs attention to important issues.

I recall, his no win policy and muzzling the military when he came to the defense of the military's his right to speak out.

He seems to have a way with the so-called glamour issues, which the public understands.

Sen. Cauthen> Well, I think this, Gene, I think it's the simple fact, that, Thurmond is the type of man who does not mince words.

If he believes something, he says it and says it in no uncertain terms.

And as I pointed out a while ago, he says it promptly.

He often is first in, attacking something in Washington or defending something in Washington.

He's always on the job.

He lives and thinks and dreams and sleeps politics.

And he knows them from top to bottom.

I would say that Thurmond is the kind of United States senator who is not light as a member of the fraternity up there much, but who is highly, respected and even feared by his colleagues in the United States Senate, as was true, I saw it in the state Senate when he was the Senator in South Carolina, Gene> Mr. Cauthen, later we would like to go back and get your impressions of Senator Thurmond when he served as governor of South Carolina.

But now, as we well know, he has gone from the Democratic Party through the States' Rights Party and is now a Republican.

Is he, at home, you think, in the Republican Party now, is he quite happy as a Republican?

Sen. Cauthen> I think so, and I think it's far more appropriate that he be in the Republican Party.

I think that could be true of a good many other South Carolina Democratic so-called officeholders.

As you have often heard, people say, we haven't left the Democratic Party.

Down here, it's left us, that, that old cliche.

And it's,... quite true in many respects.

Yes.

He's, he's very, very happy in the Republican Party and doubtless will stay there.

He had this first, of course, he was a Democrat, as everybody was in South Carolina in those days.

Then in 1947, wasn't it, he, he ran for the presidency as a so-called Dixiecrat.

It was actually called the States' Rights Party.

That was the formal name.

But the opposition dubbed him the Dixiecrat.

He carried four states, and, came close to threaten, and, Truman's victory at that time, with the, some 30 odd electoral votes that, that he commanded, he did just about as well as George Wallace did, at 1968, when Wallace carried five states.

So, Thurmond hasn't bothered about, parties.

He, he takes the issues.

He, he does what he thinks South Carolina wants.

And obviously what he believes South Carolina needs.

It's hard to find fault with what Strom Thurmond has done now in the game of politics, there are a lot of fellows who do play the game as part, parts of the team, who can find fault, with Strom often surprising them and catching them off guard.

But, I think it's to his credit that he, stands for what he believes and certainly does not hesitate to say so.

Gene> I wonder if Mr. Cauthen, perhaps this is an unfair question, but the Republicans in South Carolina would certainly, like to have a Republican governor in this state.

Do you suppose Senator Thurmond would ever be interested in another term as governor?

Sen. Cauthen> Gene, I would doubt that...that might be, feasible for this reason if he's elected, another term in the United States Senate, he would be, I think, 74 years old, when he came out of the Senate.

That would be pretty late to be, be running for governor.

I forgotten just how old Mr. Burns was probably 74 or 5 when he ran, but it'd be a little different in that situation.

I don't think that Thurmond would come back to be governor.

I think that Thurmond would, would run again for the United States Senate.

Well, I've heard it said that as long as Strom can do one push up, he's going to run for office.

(laughter) You know, he's a great physical cultured man.

Gene> What kind of governor was he, in...the 40s?

Sen. Cauthen> He won the House of Representatives in that he elected his man as speaker.

That's the only time.

That Sol Blatt, has been out Speaker in the last 40 years.

Sol stood aside for four years.

He didn't run.

He knew that, Thurmond had the strength in the House.

He'd come in on a wave of popular votes and had run actually, one of his big issues in his race for governor was to attack the Barnwell ring.

And, Brown and Blatt, one of the few times that I thought that they made mistakes, made the mistake of coming out and challenging him on his attacks against them, which simply added fuel to the fire.

He, was unable to, to, put through any program in the Senate.

The,...Sol Blatt having stepped aside as speaker of the House, was still a very influential member on the floor of the House, and often stuffed Thurmond's programs in the House.

But most of all, I would say that Thurmond and they were not important years in the state.

He helped with the state's progress, as every other governor has, has done.

He made trips with Charlie Daniels around the country to call on industrialists to bring their plants to South Carolina.

They kept the bala- the budget balanced.

So there were not many real issues when he was a governor.

I would say he served satisfactorily, but principally, he was paving the way for his election to the United States Senate.

And, that was at the time, however, he lost to Olin Johnston for the Senate, was immediately, after he had served as governor.

Gene> Mr. Cauthen, you mentioned earlier that Senator Thurmond, is, as you described him, a loner in politics.

I'd like to ask you a little bit about your personal relationship with Senator Thurmond and your business relationship as, as a textile executive.

I'm sure that you've called on Senator Thurmond on many occasions, to help South Carolina with its problems within the textile industry.

Sen. Cauthen> Yes.

And I have never been disappointed.

Certainly the senator recognizes the textile industry is the bread and butter of South Carolina.

He has been one of our greatest champions in the desperate, fight we've made to curb foreign imports, which come in here, made by cheaply produced labor, made by cheap, produced by cheap labor and giving us a very unfair price advantage.

Thurmond has been a man that, that you could always, always reach in Washington.

That isn't always the case with your senators and congressmen.

If you call Thurmond's office by telephone, And he happened not to be in, they could tell you where he was and about when to expect them.

And they would have, have him call you.

And he would never fail to call.

Sometimes it would be night time at home when he called, but he always got back to you.

To want to know what, what was up.

Our relationship that way, it was always, extremely satisfactory.

Our personal relationship, anytime I was in Washington, I always dropped by his office.

He always seemed to be very glad to see me if I caught him in, if I didn't.

I had many pleasant, intimate conversations with Harry Dent.

Those were mostly in the Democratic days, because, by that time, Thurmond became a Republican.

I was too close to retirement from the industry.

But, I couldn't I cannot fault him for any slight that he ever gave me.

Even though, like I said a moment ago, he knew that I had to vote for Senator Brown when they had to.

He didn't raise it, it was just one of those things.

There was an occasion that, that I always appreciated very much.

It was a very personal thing, The Senator called me one day and asked me if I would like to have four tickets to the Army - Navy football game.

They are difficult to obtain at times.

I had never seen an Army - Navy football game.

And he said he had four tickets, if I could use that many that he would like to send to me.

So I thought at once my brother Henry and his wife and my, and accepted the tickets.

And our plan was to ride was to fly from here to Washington, spend the night in Washington, and and bought a special train from Washington to Philadelphia where the game was being played, because this train took you right to the football stadium and was the most convenient way to get there.

Mrs. Thurmond happened not to be in Washington at the time and Thurmond and the senator insisted that, that we use his apartment, which we did.

We woke up the next morning and it was snowing, and I, loved football.

But I'm not one of these people that goes to the football through rain and snow, sleet.

and what not.

My wife and I decided that we'd stay on in Washington at Thurmond's apartment and watch the game on television.

My brother Henry and his wife went on to Philadelphia.

As it turned out, that, snowflake fell in Philadelphia.

So, we we missed the Army-Navy game, unnecessarily.

But Thurmond was that kind of man.

He, he never did anything by half measure.

If it was personal or official, he went all the way for you and still does.

For example, Thurmond was the first governor who went around the country with Charlie Daniels by airplane, calling on the heads of corporations at their home offices.

No matter how big the corporation, he he was always flattered by the fact that a government came to see him in his private office.

He helped to bring many of those corporation executives or men designated by them to South Carolina to inspect sites and consider our advantages.

This resulted in many of the industries that we now have in this state.

Strom would never hesitate to drop what he was doing If Charlie Daniels had a hot prospect, he'd get right in the plane and fly away with him to follow it up.

Again, I say he was never a man who did things and things by half measure.

Gene> Mr. Cauthen, we thank you.

In this program, we've been talking about United States Senator Strom Thurmond and other programs.

You talked about strong men in South Carolina politics.

Certainly, he is a strong man, a master politician, continuing to serve South Carolina.

We've enjoyed your observations today on Senator Strom Thurmond.

Sen. Cauthen> Thank you, Gene.

Charles> We dip again into the South Carolina Educational Television archives to find another program chronicling the life of the nation's longest serving senator.

In the early 1980s, Senator Thurmond and his young family had a home here in Columbia.

But were still very much part of the Washington scene.

Thurmond chaired the Senate Judiciary Committee during the presidency of Ronald Reagan, and in 1982, ETV's Beryl Dakers produced this next program entitled Strom Thurmond at the Seat of Power.

♪ Beryl> For over a half century, J. Strom Thurmond has been a political figure, from superintendent of education in an obscure South Carolina county to president pro tempore of the United States Senate.

Today Strom Thurmond sits at the seat of power.

♪ ♪ Beryl> With the Republican victory sweep of 1980, Strom Thurmond, the venerable senior senator from South Carolina, came into his own.

The ranking member of the majority party, Thurmond assumed the important chairmanship of the powerful Senate Judiciary Committee.

Additionally, as president pro tempore of the Senate, Thurmond would stand third in line in the ascension to the Presidency itself.

While the media speculated on its impact, Thurmond modestly but straightforwardly accepted both the challenges and the power of his position.

Thurmond> By having a Republican President in the White House, so many people now call on the Republican members because they have better contacts.

And also, by the Republicans taking over the Senate, the senior members, like myself, have become chairmen of committees.

I am the senior Republican, and I am, by virtue of that, as much as anything else, I guess, although we have to be elected by the whole Senate, the president pro tempore of the Senate.

I open the Senate every morning.

Incidentally, we have a chaplain to open the Senate with a prayer too.

I announce that.

And I'm chairman of the Judiciary Committee, and we have great responsibilities there.

We handle more legislation than any other committee in the Senate.

Beryl> In early meetings with reporters, Thurmond spelled out his goals for the Judiciary Committee.

He called for repealing the voting rights laws and pressing for constitutional amendments to outlaw abortions, ban forced bussing, and restore voluntary prayer in the schools.

Apprehensive tremors rocked the liberal community, which braced itself for an all-out attack on social issues.

But the anticipated onslaught did not occur.

Instead, social issues were quietly pushed into the background.

Thurmond> We were trying to put first the economic situation that affects the country worse.

I would not deny any member the right to bring up any bill that he's introduced.

He'd have that right to do that.

I think there are a lot of things along economic lines-- reduce the budget and cutting spending and reducing taxes and so forth-- that deserve such a high priority that we felt that those matters ought to have the presence, the preference, and the priority.

Beryl> Senate colleagues verify Thurmond's broad-minded approach Sen. Paul Laxalt> I've served on the Judiciary Committee for a long time with him.

And I can remember when we came in the majority, there were many concerns expressed in the media and otherwise, that we were going to go into almost a despotic era within the Judiciary Committee, and the liberals, particularly, on the committee would be arbitrarily shut out.

I don't know how many you've talked to on the show but if they are fair-minded and honest about it, they'll be the first to tell you that he's been a responsible, very reasonable chairman and has conducted those hearings very fairly.

So those early perceptions in the minds of fair-minded people have proved to be absolutely wrong.

>> Thurmond is not an ideologue like Senators Jessie Helms and Senators East or some of the others in his party.

Thurmond really is a super-politician, and he knows what he can get; he knows what he can't get.

In talking with the Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee, they have been pleasantly surprised with Thurmond as chairman.

They have found him extremely cooperative.

He hasn't tried to railroad anything through the committee, and as a result, because of his cooperative attitude, Thurmond is able to get along with people like Senator Kennedy of Massachusetts and Senator Biden of Delaware.

Sen. Joesph Biden Jr.> Well, you know, it's kinda hard for a guy who's labeled as a liberal Democrat to say this.

I'm his counterpart on the Democratic side, and I think his style is, he's both fair and he's effective.

He's a quintessential legislator.

He wants to get things done.

Unlike some of the right-wing purists that are up here talking about changing the Fourth, Fifth, and Eighth Amendment and blowing everything away in the Constitution, Strom Thurmond has been as reasonable as the devil as chairman.

Thurmond> In order to be effective up here you've got to try to make friends with everybody you can and be helpful to the other senators.

That's been my policy, and as a result, I've gotten good cooperation from them.

Sen. Robert Dole> I think Strom's strength is the fact, he gets along with everyone.

He may not agree with you, with me or with somebody else on the committee from a philosophical standpoint, but everybody's going to let everybody, everybody's going to have a chance to be heard.

nobody's going to be shut off, and he's going to hustle as much as he can to get the bill moving.

And we meet two, three, four times a week.

So, I think anybody on the committee, everybody, Democrats as well as Republicans, would say that he's fair, he's honest, and that he's tolerant.

And you can't-- that's, as far as I'm concerned, the measure of a good chairman.

Harry Dent> One of the reasons, that he's worked out so well as Senate Judiciary Committee chairman.

And you know there were some who didn't want him.

Even Teddy Kennedy pays tribute to him.

All the others on the committee, they say he's fair, and they say that they find that he's not bullheaded-- or as the Senator would say, pigheaded, you know, about matters, that he makes his point, and then he moves on if he cannot win.

So that has gained him probably more respect than more people figured he might merit when he came into a leadership position in the United States Senate.

Beryl> That Thurmond has been able to function effectively in his new role comes as no surprise to those who followed his career, in ernest.

In 1928, young Strom Thurmond, a high school coach and teacher, ran for his first elective office and won.

While serving as county superintendent of education, he studied law under his father, then took and passed the bar.

In January of 1933, he was elected to the state senate.

Five years later, he won an appointment as circuit judge.

Although judges were exempt from military service, Thurmond volunteered for the armed forces the day war was declared against Germany.

Thurmond> I was attached to the 82nd Airborne Division for the invasion of Normandy.

We jumped off on D-Day and landed in Normandy.

I stayed and fought with them for about a month.

Beryl> Following the war, Thurmond returned to the bench.

In 1946 he resigned the judgeship to run for governor.

He won among a field of 11 candidates.

Two years later, the South Carolina governor was drafted as a Presidential candidate, representing the States Rights Party.

♪ Announcer> In Birmingham, the stars and bars of the Southern Confederacy.

The Dixiecrat Convention for states' rights is in session.

♪ Candidates are named to run against President Truman and the civil rights polic.

♪ For President: South Carolina's J. Strom Thurmond, breathing defiance.

Thurmond> In the words of John Paul Jones, "We have just begun to fight."

(crowd cheers) Beryl> It was this stance that earned Strom Thurmond the lingering reputation of states' right advocate and staunch segregationist.

Thurmond> Well, so many people misconstrued, I think, the race that I ran for President in 1948.

...That was really a race of federal power versus state power; whether the federal government's going to take over practically everything, as they've tried to do and have been doing to a large extent for the last 35 years, or whether you're going to follow the Constitution and leave with the states the rights reserved to the states under the constitution.

See, when the Union was formed, the states had all the power.

They formed the Union and gave the states certain powers, but they reserved all other powers.

But so many people have involved and injected the federal government into almost every conceivable field of activity.

And that race was barely construed-- as far as I was concerned, the 1948 Presidential race was not a Presidential race concerning color or race.

It was trying to preserve the rights of the states and preserve the Constitution of the United States.

Beryl> Back home, Thurmond was considered one of the most liberal governors South Carolina had ever known.

It was during this period he entered his first race for the U.S. Senate.

Harry Dent> I got involved with Senator Thurmond in 1950 in the only race that he ever lost, which was his run for the United States Senate against incumbent Senator Olin D. Johnston.

I was a student at Presbyterian College, and the Senator, who was then governor, drafted me as a student to drive him all over the state of South Carolina in the last toe-to-toe, courthouse-to-courthouse Democratic primary stump campaigns.

And was it something!

I had to separate the two of them one time, it got so hot.

Beryl> Following that unsuccessful bid, Thurmond entered private practice as a lawyer.

But dissatisfaction with the Democratic nomination process led to a remarkable feat.

In 1954, in true populous style, Thurmond eschewed the dictates of modern politics and captured a Senate seat on a write-in vote.

It was a feat never before accomplished in the history of the U.S. Senate, nor repeated since.

Catapulted into national politics once again, the fledgling senator quickly established himself as a vocal conservative on the Hill.

He championed a strong defense, a tough foreign policy, and, of course, the sovereign rights of the states.

In 1957, he delivered the longest speech ever made in the Senate: 24 hours and 18 minutes in defense of jury trials.

Still, he won few victories on the Hill.

Lee Bandy> Well, when I first came here, Senator Thurmond, of course, was a Democrat.

And back then, the Senator had a reputation of saying a lot of things about a lot of issues but not being able to deliver, or as they said back then, "bring home the bacon" to South Carolina.

And I think that was accurate back then when the Senator was a Democrat.

Beryl> For Thurmond, it was a difficult and risk-proned decision, yet in 1964, he switched parties in support of GOP Presidential candidate Barry Goldwater.

>> He did that on the basis of Lyndon Johnson's unpopularity in South Carolina that related primarily to civil rights questions.

That was the issue then as it was in '48.

Senator Thurmond struck a very, very conservative pose with respect to civil rights, and he exploited that issue extremely well.

Harry Dent> Strom Thurmond got his freedom then, because he really was, at heart, more a Republican than he was a Democrat.

He was a dissident, dissatisfied Democrat.

The Democrats, you know, didn't care for him because he was always stepping out of line, so far as they were concerned.

The Republicans welcomed him with open arms, and he became a national leader in a new political party, so far as he was concerned.

I have seen the liberation of Strom Thurmond in that move.

Beryl> Unexpected moves seemed to characterize Thurmond's life.

A widower, in 1968, against all political advise, the courtly Thurmond wooed and won a young wife over 40 years his junior.

Minister> When therefore, what God hath joined together, let no man put asunder.

Let us pray.

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, Strom and Nancy.

May the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you.

May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace, both now and in the life everlasting.

Amen.

♪ [organ music] ♪ Beryl> Today, Thurmond, his wife Nancy, and four children juggle his hectic schedule in an attempt to find time for a normal family life.

The family maintains a residence in South Carolina and a home in a Virginia suburb.

Nancy Thurmond> I would have to be honest in that certainly, Strom does belong to the public, and there are times when we have to postpone family celebrations, anniversaries, birthday parties until there is free time for us to have family time together.

I really knew what I was getting into before we married, although, certainly, the addition of four children has complicated our life a great deal schedule-wise.

But there are times when I wish that he were more available at home, but we've tried to compromise and make ourselves available to him, in that We can't expect him to be home in the evening at 5:00 or 6:00 o'clock.

When appropriate, we'll often go up to the Capitol to see him or you know, we'll take the children to South Carolina so we can all be together.

Thurmond> Put your hands up.

That's right.

That's it.

Nancy> Go, Strom!

Nancy> Physical fitness plays a very important role in our lives.

The children are all very active.

Strom is extremely energetic and active, and I have to keep up with all of them, so I guess I, too, try to follow their routine.

Beryl> What is the side of Strom Thurmond that you'd like the public to see that they never get to see?

Nancy> Well, I guess the side that we see all the time, the very human side.

He's a very concerned husband and a very involved parent.

He goes to PTA meetings, and he helps children swim or bicycle or with their homework, and I think that normalcy is what it's hard for people to realize that someone in public life is just a normal person.

Beryl> For Thurmond, normalcy is hard to achieve with a day that begins at dawn and goes till midnight.

His colleagues consistently refer to the strenuous pace he keeps.

Sen. Dole> He's at work every minute.

You never see Strom Thurmond he's not in a hurry, when he's not doing something for someone, or trying to get you to come to his committee meeting or introducing you to somebody from South Carolina.

Sen. Jesse Helms> He is a prodigious worker.

He is on top of more things at one time than any fellow I ever saw, and he has boundless energy!

Lee Bandy> The Senator is a hard worker.

He works a lot behind the scenes, and he's the kind of person who depends a great deal on his staff.

He realizes his weaknesses in many areas, and he hires strong people to help him in those areas where he is weak.

I think that's a testament to his career, that he recognized the fact that he needed a strong staff.

Michael Schick> Senator Thurmond expects the same amount of energy and dedication and loyalty from the staff that he exerts himself, which is very demanding.

A new staff member coming board and expect, maybe, a 9-to-5 job, and there's-- it's just not that way, because Senator Thurmond is not a 9-to-5 senator.

Beryl> Perhaps the greatest challenge for Thurmond thus far in his role as Judiciary chairman has been presiding over the controversial Voting Rights Bill extension debate.

Thurmond's early efforts to defeat the extension provoked Blacks, and Edgefield, the county of his birth, became a target for voting rights protesters.

♪ We going to walk ♪ in Thurmond's town.

♪ (group echoing) ♪ We going to walk in Thurmond's town.

♪ ♪ You know those hills ♪ are mighty steep... ♪ Beryl> Why demonstrate in Edgefield County?

Jesse Taylor> Well basically, we wanted to let Senator Thurmond know that Black people in South Carolina were upset about his position on the Voting Rights Act.

He said in November of 1980 that he was going to kill the Voting Rights Act, We thought that was a fundamental law for the rights of Black people in South Carolina throughout the South.

We wanted to make sure, that he, the people of South Carolina, and the nation knew we were not going to stand for it.

Rev.

Joseph Lowery> One hundred years ago... [crowd chattering] One hundred years ago, a man named Thurmond-- (crowd jeers) Yeah!

Rev.

Joseph Lowery> led the movement in South Carolina to disfranchise Black folk.

(crowd jeers) Rev.

Joseph Lowery> Here we are, one hundred years later, facing a man named Thurmond trying to disfranchise Black folk.

We came today... Beryl> In the end, Thurmond surprised almost everyone when he voted for the simple bill extension.

Thurmond> And so I felt it should apply nationwide, whatever law was passed.

There wasn't too much sentiment for that, so the question came, the President recommended that we renew the present voting rights law for ten years and allow reasonable bailout for a state or any political subdivision that is entitled to bail out if they're not discriminating.

Well, that would seem reasonable, but it seems that there's even objections to the bailout, so then it came down to the question of probably whether the House bill will be pushed or whether the present law would be extended.

Everybody who's worked with the voting rights law has been pleased with it.

They said it's done a lot of good.

So I voted just to renew the present law.

Beryl> Thurmond's longstanding record against civil rights has yielded a legacy of mistrust on racial matters, particularly on the part of Blacks.

Jesse> It's a mixture of fear, and hatred.

There's some admiration among a very, very small portion of the Black community.

But overall, Black people remember Senator Thurmond for the things that he has done.

Those who weren't around in the 1960s or the '50s and the '40s where his main activity was, they certainly remember him for the last couple of years as being the main public figure in the country trying to kill the Voting Rights Act.

People remember that and they are going to watch closely in '84.

Dr. David Williams> Not being from South Carolina, having read a great deal about the Senator, having heard a great deal about him, I felt I would be tackling one of the most difficult tasks that I would have in coming to this great state by meeting with the Senator to talk about Allen University.

But I was surprised after meeting with the Senator, and uh, the way that he has responded to my concerns and needs here at Allen University.

Beryl> A strong law and order advocate, the Senator predictably has spent a great deal of effort on crime bills.

Thurmond> Crime is the greatest enemy internally of this country, and we must take steps to make people feel safe on the streets and in their homes.

If we get mandatory prison sentences for instance, for a person who commits a crime with a gun, he'd get a sentence not only for committing the crime, but he would get a prison sentence for carrying the gun when he committed the crime.

We think such bills as that will help a lot to bring down crime.

Beryl> Another Thurmond priority is the passage of a federal death penalty law, a carryover from his days as a circuit judge in South Carolina.

Thurmond believes capital punishment is a deterrent to crime.

In Congress, Thurmond's influence among young senators is legendary.

Sen. Ted Steven> Strom's greatest contribution, in my opinion, is in the way he treats new senators.

You all probably don't see that, but we see that.

He seeks out the new senators.

He talks to them.

He takes...the time to go visit with them in their office.

We all remember that, the time when Strom, who, you know, is the most senior on our side, came to our office to visit with us when we were new senators.

Sen. Paul Laxalt> I can remember as a young politician myself, running for office on the state level, when I'd make many inspiring speeches, at least to me, saying that seniority in the Congress and particularly in the Senate was all wrong, and those who were older should leave.

When I came back here and observed what Strom Thurmond and others were doing, I came to a cold realization that couldn't have been more wrong.

Sen. Orrin Hatch> He's certainly taken me under his wing.

I've been on the Judiciary Committee since I've been in the Senate.

Strom Thurmond has been one of the greatest influences.

of my life.

Beryl> Nor have Thurmond's recent accomplishments gone unnoticed.

Even his rivals give credit where due.

Sen. Ernest Hollings> As the chairman of our Judiciary Committee, he's done an outstanding job here this year.

And last, everyone will agree with that.

Because he knows now over the years, how to work with people.

There was perhaps a time in his career when he was just barreling forward on his own principles and beliefs, and in the last couple of years or so now, he's learned to work with all elements, and he has a great credibility and a great persuasiveness.

They will stop look and listen, and I think he's very effective.

Sen. John.

B. Tower> I think he's one of the most able, hardworking senators that I've ever seen.

I've served with Strom throughout my Senate career of 22 years, and, I'm especially impressed by the way he's dedicated himself to rebuilding the defense capability of the United States.

He serves on the Armed Services Committee of which I'm chairman and certainly does an outstanding job, and makes a real contribution, does his homework, knows the subject.

I think he's made a great contribution to his country.

Sen. Charles H. Percy> It's the thoroughness, with which he does things the conviction from which he does things, the sense of compassion and understanding.

He thoroughly understands the legislation he works on.

He thoroughly understands the judicial process, for instance and I give him a great deal of credit for upholding the quality of federal judges, U.S. attorneys, and so forth.

That power alone, the judicial power that he has in oversight, and the responsibility he has to serve the Senate, in that regard, plus his duties as president of the Senate-- He's a pride and joy every time he comes before a meeting of the Foreign Relations Committee we're having with a chief of state or foreign minister, prime minister.

whatever it may be.

Sen. Hatch> Strom Thurmond was the leader for the first balanced budget amendment to the Constitution in the history of this country to ever come to the floor of the United States Senate.

He led that fight on the floor.

It was a difficult thing.

You know, there have been 10 thousand constitutional amendments proposed in the history of this country.

But only 34 have come through this system, and that's one of them.

Strom Thurmond was the leader on the floor.

I can remember when it was really tense, where it looked like we might lose that on the floor of the Senate.

Strom just sat there, and got tougher than ever.

and really did a great job for the Senate and for, I think, the country as a whole.

Dole> Being really the president pro tem of the Senate puts him pretty high on the pecking order around this town and around this country.

But I think even beyond that is the fact that he is totally attentive to the needs of South Carolina.

I mean, some people, when they start getting national attention and national focus, forget where they came from, and I don't think Strom Thurmond ever has and ever will.

>> He has a great sensitivity about what people in South Carolina feel, how they think.

He has almost a sixth sense about him.

He knows how people think and feel.

That is his homing device.

He tunes into that better than anybody I know, and he responds to it with great flexibility.

And secondly, he gives extremely-- his office and he give very, very good constituency services.

They're very responsive to almost anybody who has a need or a concern.

Beryl> Has Strom Thurmond mellowed as a politician?

Thurmond> Well, I don't know about mellowed.

I've always felt kindly to people.

I've always tried to help people.

When I practiced law, if people could pay me a fee for defending them, okay, but if they couldn't, I'd take the cases anyway, and my goal is to serve the public, to serve all the people, and to help all the people.

>> I think that... that being in the majority as he is in the Senate, and being the senior Republican in the Senate, and being the chairman of the Judiciary Committee has had a very profound effect on Strom Thurmond.

He has--he feels the responsibility not only to his personal views, but also to his responsibility to help lead the Senate.

I guess that's mellowing.

but in any event, he has flourished and flowered in this new role as chairman of committee and president pro tem of the Senate.

I would not say mellowed; I would say grown.

>> Well, I'd say, number one, he's a man of tremendous ability.

He's a man of tremendous energy and activity.

He's one of the most, and through the years has been one of the most courageous members of the Senate, always willing to speak his mind and to fight for those principles of government in which he so deeply believes.

Sen. Hatch> I think he'll be remembered as a person who stood tall for morality and decency in government, who worked hard while he was here, who prevented a lot of very detrimental legislation, to this country, but who passed some of the most important legislation in this country's history.

Sen. Howard Baker Jr.> Strom Thurmond is probably one of the few true Senate professionals left in Washington, and I mean that to be a mark of high praise and a statement of personal affection.

Sen. Laxalt> All I can tell you that he's a good politician, every good sense of the word.

He may be trite, but he's a patriot.

Sen. Jesse Helms> He's a remarkable, remarkable man, and I could not express to you in any adequate way my admiration and respect for him.

He's a great American.

Sen. Dole> To sort of sum it up, the bottom line is, he's a just good, decent man.

We're proud to serve with him in the Senate.

Beryl> If you could write the South Carolina history text of the future, what would you write about Strom Thurmond?

Thurmond> That I tried to serve humanity to the best of my ability.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Charles> Senator Thurmond knew the nation's capital as well as he knew the back roads of South Carolina.

He was fond of personally conducting Senate interns on tours of the building he loved so much.

He always added his own personal commentary on these excursions, and they were very popular among the student interns.

In 1986, South Carolina Educational Television went along on one of the Thurmond tours.

While many of us have been on tours of the United States Capitol in Washington, few have had tour guides who began service in the United States Senate during the Eisenhower administration.

That's the case with our next three cover stories.

South Carolina Senior Senator Strom Thurmond will be our guide for a behind the scenes tour of the Capitol, and tonight, tomorrow night and Wednesday night's cover story.

The cover stories are produced by Charlotte Sottile and photographed by Domino Boulware, Warren Foushee, Kamala Reege of WNSC-TV Rock Hill.

Senator Thurmond's tour of the Capitol, our cover story tonight, part one.

♪ Charlotte Sottile> This is August 1987, in Washington.

But let's go back further in time to the early 1800s and before with South Carolina's Senior Senator Strom Thurmond.

Strom Thurmond> For 33 years, I've been walking up and down these steps.

This is the Senate wing of the Capitol.

I want to congratulate you all for your interest in your government.

This is the finest government that has ever been devised by the mind of man for the governing of a people.

The cornerstone for this building was laid in 1793 by George Washington.

At that time, the government was in Philadelphia.

And I might say that Washington took the oath of office in 1789 in New York.

The governor stayed there one year, then moved to Philadelphia and stayed there about ten years.

And then they came here to Washington.

You are now looking at the most majestic and most prestigious and the most impressive building in the whole world, in my opinion.

It represents freedom.

It represents justice.

It represents equal opportunity.

It represents hope.

It has given more hope to the people of this country and to the world, than any government has ever given any people in all of history.

Now I will point out to you, this wing right here, that's the original wing of the Capitol.

That was one that was first built and first occupied by the Congress in 1800.

George Washington, as I said, lay the cornerstone in 1793 for that building and it took about seven years to build it.

And, it's been modified since then and added on to and improved.

But this whole new wing was added later, where the columns are, the rotunda and on to the house, was added later.

This is the original part for this building.

Now, I'd like to take you over to the old Supreme Court room and tell you about that and the history of it, because that's where the senators first met.

And so we'll now go over there.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Thurmond> We are now in a very historic room.

The Supreme Court sat here from 1810 to 1860.

And before telling you about this room, I thought I'd go back a little bit and refresh your memories on our government.

We had 13 colonies at the time of Declaration of Independence, known as colonies.

The colonies had suffered so, until they decided in writing that constitution that they were right to kind of document where no individual would ever get too much power.

And so they decided to have three branches of government a Congress to make the law.

The executive branch hereby present to administer the law and judicial branch, headed by the Supreme Court, to interpret the law.

Each would be a check and a balance on the other, and therefore we have three branches of government.

Now, of course, the president is downtown in the White House.

The Supreme Court is now in a new location across the street.

This is a building where the laws are made.

But this, this room goes way back before that, George Washington appointed John Jay As the first Chief Justice of the United States.

1789, his first year as president, and the Supreme Court met in various committee rooms for some years, until they finally came here in 1810, and from 1810 until 1860, this was a permanent home of the Supreme Court.

Now, during that time we had five chief justices The first chief justice was John Jay.

Incidentally, he was one of those who signed the Treaty of Paris, ending the Revolutionary War.

He served for about six years.

The second Chief Justice was John Rutledge.

And his statue or his bust is right over here.

He was from South Carolina.

He only served a few months.

He never was confirmed.

He was an outspoken man.

And in some of his statements, he made, some senators mad, and they didn't confirm him.

The first chief justice was Oliver Ellsworth and the fourth chief justice for John Marshall.

John Marshall served for 34 years, longer than any chief justice in all of history.

A fifth chief justice whose bust is just out there, Roger Taney, served for 28 years.

Now this room was not only the home of the Supreme Court during that period, 1810 - 1860, but the first, joint session of Congress was held in here.

And... also the Senate sat here after that until they moved, into another location upstairs.

But this is a most historic room.

Now, these chairs are just like the world then.

And this Supreme Court room has been remodeled, refurbished between 1850 and 1860.

Oh, here's where the clerk of the Supreme Court sat.

The judges sat here.

A few other officials sat around.

The lawyers trying their cases, stood here, and all of the cases before the Supreme Court.

The spectators stood back there.

These tables you see here and here were occupied by the attorneys.

The attorneys sitting on one side of a case and attorneys on the other side, and they sat in these chairs and occupied these table chairs.

When the Supreme Court sat here it was very hot.

They couldn't get air.

The judges perspired a lot.

And they were anxious to move.

So when the time came to go upstairs, it made them very happy.

This is a very historic room, one of the most in the whole Capitol.

And I was anxious for you to see it and to know about it.

We will now go upstairs to the old Senate chamber.

♪ And you'll observe on your left the bust of Roger Taney, the fifth chief justice.

Incidentally, he was a state's righter.

Charlotte> Next we'll explore the old Senate chamber, Statuary Hall and the Senate reception room.

♪ ♪ Charlotte> Looking back to the mid-19th century at the Capitol Building in Washington takes us on three stops today, the old Senate Chamber, Statuary Hall and the Senate reception room.

Our guide, Senator Strom Thurmond.

Sen. Thurmond> This is the old Senate chamber that I want to tell you about.

♪ ♪ ♪ The great debates in all of history have occurred in this chamber to a great extent.

Daniel Webster, probably one of the greatest orators that ever lived, used to debate John C. Calhoun from South Carolina here.

Robert Y. Hayne used to debate.

He was from South Carolina.

He used to debate with Daniel Webster here.

Henry Clay, known as the great, the Great Compromiser.

He was the author of the compromise of 1820, another compromise in the big Compromise of 1850.

And he was a great debater.

He didn't write out his speeches like, Daniel Webster and John C. Calhoun did.

Therefore they're not preserved, but he was excellent in debate, and he was best when somebody would intervene while he was speaking and...ask him questions.

When he'd respond, he'd do it in a very fine manner.

Or when he intervened from somebody else speaking, and ask him questions and back and forth.

So you look over this room and you see history here.

The fourth chair over here, the fourth seat on the next to the last row was the seat John C. Calhoun occupied.

John C. Calhoun was one of the finest orators.

Daniel Webster said he was probably the ablest member of the United States Senate.

Up in the gallery here, if you look, it's where the spectator stood.

They said back in that day when it was known at Webster and Clay or Calhoun was fake, the gallery was filled, and a lot of the members of the gallery were ladies.

It's a beautiful room.

And you notice the furnishings in here.

There's just like they were then.

The presiding officer, of course, sat up there.

And the other officials sat here, the parliamentarian and the secretary of the Senate, sargeant at arms and so forth.

I might tell you that Charles Sumner of Massachusetts, was not a very good friend of the South, and one time he was speaking against the South, and he also jumped on one of South Carolina's senators, Senator Butler and, his cousin, Preston Brooks, who was from Edgefield County at that time, heard him do that.

And, and two days later, he came back over there when Sumner was at his desk and took a walking cane and framed him to the floor, slammed into the floor and it injured Sumner, and he never was the same after that.

Well, Preston Brooks was condemned by the House representatives for doing that, committing that assault on Senator Sumner.

And so he resigned from the Congress and went back to South Carolina and told the story of what happened.

And the people of his congressional district overwhelmingly reelected him.

However he died before, he had a chance to come back and resume his seat in the House of Representatives.

♪ ♪ Now, I want to point out to you that this is Statuary Hall.

It runs from the entrance to the Senate chamber here to the entrance of the House chambers to the other end of the Capitol.

In Statuary Hall, every state has two statues.

They're allowed to have two.

And those statues are placed at this level and, and one level below here.

South Carolina has two, of course.

And our two at John C. Calhoun and Wade Hampton.

And you'll find their statues some where in Statuary Hall either in this level or the floor beneath here.

Now, we're going to go around to the reception room of the Senate.

♪ ♪ We have now come in to the reception room of the Senate.

If a person comes here and wants to see a Senator, he goes to this desk and sends in a card to the senator, and he'll come out to see him.

Now, this is a very interesting reception room.

Several years ago, when John Kennedy was a senator, he was chairman of a committee to select five best senators of his past to put their portraits in this room, not necessarily the greatest senses, but five great senators.

And these were the senators that he selected.

Three of those are ones that I've already told you about, Daniel Webster, whose portraits right over here, and, who was born in New Hampshire, became senator from Massachusetts.

A great orator and strong for the Union, He once said we're union now and forever.

Another great senator that I told you about was Henry Clay of Kentucky, the great compromiser, the great debater.

And another one I told you about was John C. Calhoun of South Carolina.

He advocated the theory of nullification, which meant that if any state didn't want to accept an action of the federal government, they wouldn't have to.

♪ ♪ Now, another senator here is, Taft of Ohio.

He's.... the only Republican senator, I believe, in recent days.

And in fact, the only senator, it has a monument to him on the Capitol grounds, only senator in all of history, his friends raised the money, and paid for a monument.

The first senator is Bob La Follette of Wisconsin, over in the corner.

He was an independent, and he didn't pay too much attention to party.

He voted independently.

He was considered somewhat of a Liberal, but he was a very fine man.

And he believed in preserving natural resources and so forth, and so forth.

He ran for president once he got a number of electoral votes.

Incidentally, when I ran for president I got more electoral votes, than he did.

(laughter) Now, I think that covers the portraits that's here that I thought you'd be interested in.

Now we're going to Vice President's office, and I'll explain to you some things in there.

♪ ♪ Charlotte> Both of the rooms on our tour today have fascinating stories behind them and a lot of history.

Let's listen.

Thurmond> We're now coming into the Vice president's room.

I think that's one of the most interesting rooms in the entire Capitol.

And, I thought I'd tell you about, a few things in here.

This mirror was brought by John Adams, the second president of the United States on a ship he took a abroad.

It's never been resurfaced.

It's in perfect shape today.

They made corners of the windows to match the mirror frame.

As you see, they did a very fine job.

This chandelier, was once in the White House.

Thomas Jefferson went abroad, and most of our leaders then because France has helped us win the Revolutionary War and most of them went to France.

Anyway, he bought some chandeliers over here for the White House, and he bought them and put them in the White House, and they remained there until Teddy Roosevelt became president.

Teddy Roosevelt was an outdoors man, and loved fresh air.

And they always raised the windows in the White House.

They didn't have air conditioning then, and when they did, it made these crystals tingle like that.

And that disturbed him.

He said, you have to take these chandeliers out of here.

They're bothering me.

So they put them over there in the Capitol, and by all means, put one in the vice president's office here.

He doesn't have a wife doing this to keep him awake.

This clock here was given to President Polk, who was born in North Carolina but was a president from Tennessee.

And it's a very beautiful clock And, they tell the story it ran perfectly until Hubert Humphrey became vice president and it quit running.

At any rate, it's been repaired and it's running good today.

It's a very handsome clock.

The little mirror that you see up there caused tremendous consternation and trouble.

I'll tell you what happened.

President and Mrs. Madison, went abroad and Mrs. Madison.

wanted to leave something in the White House as a souvenir.

So they brought that mirror with them when they came back.

And when they got to the port, custom and duties said that, the customs said the custom is so much on this mirror, maybe $10 or $15.

She says, "Very I well, I'll pay it."

And he says we're going to give to the government, however.

And he said, well, if you going to do that it shouldn't be there, should pay it.

So, they didn't pay it.

But the word got out that the First Lady brought in an item and didn't pay the duty, everybody else had to pay to the duty, women talked to their card parties, men, talk to the smokers.

And it embarrassed President Mrs. Madison tremendously.

They had a big investigation by the United States Senate.

With what authority did Mrs. Madison have to bring this mirror in here and not pay the duty?

They spent $2,000 investigating what authority Mrs. Madison had to do that.

Well, it finally ended up.

They didn't hold her responsible, but it embarrassed her a lot and made her furious.

She says, take this mirror out of the White House.

I never want to see it again.

Put it over there in the Senate somewhere where the senators could see it often.

They paid much more for it, than I did.

Now, there are a few other things in here.

This, bookcase here was made from wood from old ironside, USS Constitution.

It's, mahogany.

It's a very beautiful bookcase.

Now, this desk here is, is a very fine desk.

This desk was used by William McKinley when he was president.

He was assassinated in Buffalo, New York.

And Teddy Roosevelt was the vice president.

And so Teddy Roosevelt wouldn't use it.

He thought it was spooked or something because the president was using that desk.

So they put it in the basement of the White House.

It stayed there until Woodrow Wilson became president.

He was rummaging around in the basement one day, one Saturday afternoon, and saw where they put his desk.

It had dust all over it.

But he, he saw such a beautiful desk that he took it out and used it.

And many presidents have used this desk.

And, President Nixon was the last person to use this desk.

It's an outstanding piece of furniture, very beautiful.

And anyone could be proud to use that desk.

Now, I want to point out, a bust over here.

This bust is of...Henry Wilson.

Henry Wilson was born in... Massachusetts, and, he didn't go beyond the fifth grade, so he didn't get a college education, but he read books.

He was ambitious.

He studied, and he educated himself.

He got interested in politics up there.

And, finally came down here as United States Senator for 18 years as a senator.

And then he was elected vice president, with Grant, during Grant's, second term.

While he was vice president and presided over the Senate, he had a heart attack and died.

And they brought him in here.

And he died on a sofa that was right over here.

That sofa is not here now.

They moved it out.

So now we'll go down to the president's room.

♪ ♪ This is called the president's room.

The reason it's called the president's room, is that it was set aside and reserved for the presidents to come here anytime they wanted to, and especially to sign legislation.

And all down through the years, the presidents have come here on this very table and signed legislation.

Abraham Lincoln signed legislation and all the presidents, Reagan, President Reagan signed legislation here.

He signed senators' appointments and did some transactions after he became president.

I was around at that time.

So it's a very historic room.

Now... when Franklin Roosevelt became president, he had, had polio and couldn't get around much.

So they began to send the legislation to the White House, and then too, on count of security.

They felt it was better.

And so the presidents, since that time, have all nearly signed most legislation in the White House.

A few pieces have been signed here, but not like it was before that.

It's a very historic room.

You'll see some portraits in here?

They're all done by Mr. Brumidi, a great Italian artist who came over here and painted so much, an entire Capitol, including the rotunda and other places.

Here's a portrait, for instance, of Thomas Jefferson is another one of the Alexander Hamilton, and the others you see in the room.

And all of these were painted by Brumidi.

Now, I think those are the main features in this room, that I'd like to call attention to.

In closing, I want to just, remind you that this is a 200th year to celebrate the Constitution of the United States.

So I would urge you to study the Constitution, disseminate it to your friends, stand for it on every occasion, because no nation has ever been so blessed in any document in all the world, in all of history as the Constitution of the United States has blessed it's people.

Thank you all very much for coming here.

(one piano key played) >> In reality, Strom Thurmond had two homes, the Senate and South Carolina, and he's left his imprint on both.

I'm Charles Bierbauer.

Good night.