In this section find South Carolinians who served in leadership roles that helped shape policies and bring change.
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After the governor seat slipped by W.J. Bryan Dorn a third time, he threw his support behind candidate Dick Riley, who won the election. Dorn devoted the final years of his political career to his...
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Congressman William Jennings Bryan Dorn returns to his home in Greenwood, South Carolina, to run for governor. While his name is not an everyday, household name, W.J. Bryan Dorn left an indelible mark...
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A Catholic nun introduced Fritz Hollings to a world he never knew existed: hunger and starvation. Disgusted by the poor living conditions of the destitute, Hollings made an effort to help improve the...
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Senators James Waddell and Rembert Dennis, Lieutenant Governor Nancy Stevenson, and Governor Richard Riley speak at the ceremony for the new State Senate office building, named in L. Marion Gressette...
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L. Marion Gressette was born in Calhoun County in 1902, near St. Matthews. Sen. Gressette fills many roles, such as a Baptist, Mason, member of Phi Kappa Phi fraternity, a fellow in the American...
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In this segment, Jim Welch interviews L. Marion Gressette about his thoughts on the building dedication ceremony, and what Gressette believes were his greatest achievements and disappointments in his...
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The first segment chronicles Ernest F. “Fritz” Hollings’ early life, education, and rise to political power. Hollings graduated from The Citadel in 1942, and served for thirty three months in the U.S...
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Mayor Steve Benjamin, Columbia’s first African American mayor, was elected in a record-turnout election in 2010. He made it his mission to shape the Capital City into the most talented, educated and...
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"B" is for Broughton, Thomas (d.1737). Legislator, lieutenant governor. By the 1690s, Broughton had immigrated to South Carolina from the West Indies. He quickly became involved in the Indian trade...
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"B" is for Burt, Armistead (1802-1883). Congressman. After attending Pendleton Academy, Burt married John C. Calhoun’s niece and became his protégé. He supported Calhoun’s opposition to the Tariff of...