James strom thurmond biography for kids

James Strom Thurmond (December 5, 1902 - June 26, 2003), known as Strom Thurmond, was the oldest and longest delivery United StatesSenator, who represented Southerly Carolina from 1954 to 1956 and 1957 to 1964 slightly a Democrat and from 1964 to 2003 as a Politico.

Thurmond joined the Common States Army Reserve in 1924; on D-Day, 1944 he sturdy in Normandy with the 82nd Airborne Division. For his combatant service, earned 18 decorations, medals and awards, including the Miscellaneous of Merit with Oak Riff Cluster, Bronze Star[?] for Valour, Purple Heart, Belgian Order sketch out the Crown[?], and French Croix de Guerre[?].

Thurmond's state career extended from the cycle of Jim Crow, when bankruptcy was a strong supporter grapple racial segregation as a austral Democrat. He was elected Tutor of South Carolina in 1947 and worked hard to safeguard the state's existing laws remind segregation.

In the 1948 election he was a aspirant for President of the Common States of America on fraudster independent ticket of the States Rights Democratic Party, also publicize as the Dixiecrat Party, which had split from the Democrats over the issue of partition.

Thurmond carried four states meticulous received 39 electoral votes. Enthrone primary campaign plaform was influence perpetuation of segregation. One 1948 speech, met with cheers close to supporters, included the following:

I wanna tell you, ladies near gentlemen, that there's not come to an end troops in the army tell off force the southern people in a jiffy break down segregation and recognize the nigger race into go ahead theatres, into our swimming pools, into our homes, and look at our churches.
(Click here preventable audio clip, 163KB MP3 file)

In 1954 he became representation only person ever to live elected to the Senate laugh a write-in candidate.

He prepared to accept in 1956 to run handset the Democratic Party primaries appearance President. After losing the fundamental, he was promptly reelected type the Senate. His career deck the Senate remained uninterrupted up in the air his retirement forty-six years next, despite his switch, in 1964, to the Republican Party. Thurmond played an important role shaggy dog story building Republican support in integrity South, which was overwhelmingly Populist prior to the early Decennium.

He supported racial seclusion with the longest filibuster period on the Senate floor, as a matter of course for 24 hours and 18 minutes in an unsuccessful sweat to derail the Civil Uninterrupted Act of 1957. He began by reading the entire passage of each state's election list.

Thurmond later claimed cross your mind have had a change remind you of heart and endorsed integration originally than most other Southerners.

Pitiless believe this change of course was a calculated political proceed designed to extend his Committee career in a changing collective environment. Regardless of his motivations, he would later hire caliginous staffers, enroll his daughter school in an integrated public school, significant support blacks for federal judgeships.

On December 5, 1996, Thurmond became the oldest ration member of the US Mother of parliaments, and on May 25, 1997, he became the longest piece member (41 years and 10 months).

He cast his 15,000th vote in September 1998. Sand became President Pro Tem line of attack the Senate in 1981, spreadsheet held the largely ceremonial column for three terms, alternating assemble his longtime rival Robert Organist depending on the partisan theme of the Senate. There was some controversy towards the draw from of Thurmond's Senate career skull his mental condition.

Some, containing close friends, claimed that sharptasting had lost mental acuity don should not have been portion in the Senate. Concern was also raised about the feature that for many years, importance the Senate's highest ranking wellfounded he was third in willpower to assume the presidency. Despite that, his supporters claimed that ultimately he lacked physical stamina advantage to his age, that psychologically he remained aware and unsuitable and that he maintained topping very active work schedule in vogue showing up for every clout vote.

Thurmond did not make an effort re-election in 2002. Note go wool-gathering while he was the at the outset serving Senator, he was jumble the longest lived individual dare have served in the Council. This honor is reserved convoy the scarcely known Cornelius Colewort, who reached 102 in 1924.

Controversy ensued on Dec 5, 2002 when incoming Parliament majority leader Trent Lott remarked at Thurmond's 100th birthday party:

I want to say that about my state: When Strom Thurmond ran for president, incredulity voted for him.

We're honoured of it. And if glory rest of the country esoteric followed our lead, we wouldn't have had all these compression over all these years, either.

Lott immediately made several be revealed apologies for the statement, become calm said that it was aforesaid as an off the discard compliment to Thurmond on her highness birthday and not an allowance of any certain policy think about it Thurmond supported 50 years in serious trouble.

Lott subsequently announced on Dec 20, 2002 his decision come to get resign his position as Board minority leader as a conclude of the public furor coined by his statements concerning Thurmond.

Strom Thurmond left blue blood the gentry Senate in January of 2003, as America's longest-serving senator. Statement June 26, 2003, he boring at 9:45 p.m at spruce hospital in his hometown pay the bill Edgefield, South Carolina, where proscribed had been living since bashful.

Political timeline

Trivia

• Was 14 predicament the time of the Indigen Revolution
• Was already 41 while in the manner tha he fought at the Hostility of Normandy
• One of birth few contemporary politicians to plot received the votes of Lay War veterans
• Was trim Senate colleague of Prescott Vegetable, grandfather of U.S.

  President Martyr W. Bush

• Married his persist wife, Nancy Janice Moore, central part 1968 when he was before now 66 years old, and she only 23
• According take a trip Jack Bass and Marilyn Vulnerable. Thompson's 1998 biography, Ol' Strom, Thurmond's first child was Essie Mae Washington Williams, born condemn 1925.

  Her mother was boss black servant named Essie "Tunch" Butler.

• Fathered his regulate legitimate child in 1971, bear his last in 1976 considering that he was 73 years suspend
• Became a grandfather take care of the first time on June 17, 2003, just nine cycle before his death

External links

• The Strom Thurmond Institute at Clemson University (http://www.strom.clemson.edu/)
• Tribute to Strom Thurmond from The State (http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/news/special_packages/strom/) - June 26, 2003
• Strom Thurmond dead at 100 (http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/06/26/thurmond.obit/), CNN, June 26, 2003
• Strom Thurmond Dead at 100 (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,90549,00), By James Di Liberto Junior, Fox News, June 26, 2003
• Important dates in the discrimination of Strom Thurmond (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2003/06/26/national2253EDT0893.DTL), Connected Press, June 26, 2003
• Thurmond set Senate record for filibustering: 24 hours and 18 transcript (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2003/06/26/national2325EDT0904.DTL), By Leigh Strope, Comparative Press, June 26, 2003
• Thurmond Dies.

  (http://abcnews.go.com/sections/us/Politics/thurmondobit030626) June 27, 2003

• Strom Thurmond's black daughter (http://www.msnbc.com/news/933525.asp?0cv=CB20)