[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 151 (Monday, November 1, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S13614-S13615]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 ON THE RETIREMENT OF JAMES B. EDWARDS

 Mr. HOLLINGS. Mr. President, it gives me great pleasure today 
to recognize my friend Dr. Jim Edwards, who recently retired as 
president of the Medical University of South Carolina after a 
distinguished 17-year tenure. Thanks to his hard work and dedication, 
MUSC is now consistently ranked as one of the top 100 research 
universities in the country and has established itself as a leader in 
teaching and patient care.
  Since Dr. Edwards took the helm at MUSC, the university has graduated 
more than 10,000 health care professionals who are serving throughout 
the state and nation. The university also experienced remarkable 
physical growth under his leadership with the construction of several 
valuable facilities including the Children's Hospital, the Hollings 
Cancer Center, the Gazes Institute for Cardiac Research and the Strom 
Thurmond Biomedical Research Center. The Charleston area is fortunate 
to have MUSC in its midst. The area's largest employer, MUSC has an 
impressive economic impact of $1.3 billion annually.
  Dr. Edwards' vision and drive that helped place MUSC in the medical 
forefront are talents he developed during the previous two decades as a 
public servant. He became a politician for all the right reasons. He 
was the archetypal man fed up with America's ills, but with the 
uncommon belief that it was his duty to correct them.
  A successful oral surgeon, Jim served for two years in the South 
Carolina Senate before resigning to run for governor in 1974. Although 
the underdog in the race, he emerged the victor, becoming the first 
Republican governor of South Carolina since Reconstruction. As 
governor, he passed the Education Finance Act, which helped modernize 
our state's education system. He also established a reserve fund, 
created a motor vehicle management office, streamlined the state 
budgeting process, developed welfare reform procedures, established the 
Energy Research Institute and launched state government reorganization 
efforts.

[[Page S13615]]

  His nonpartisan approach to state government was commendable. ``I 
sincerely believe that during a campaign you ought to be partisan as 
you can be,'' he told The State newspaper recently, ``and talk about 
the differences of the two parties. There's plenty there to talk about. 
. . . But when elected, all this partisan stuff should stop. You ought 
to work together with whomever the people elected to work with you in 
government.'' Democrats far outnumbered Republicans in the South 
Carolina legislature when Jim was governor, yet representatives from 
both parties have compliments to bestow upon him to this day. He left 
the Governor's Mansion with an approval rating of nearly 80 percent.
  A year after Dr. Edwards returned to his dental practice, President 
Reagan asked him to serve as the nation's energy secretary. True to his 
commitment to public service, Jim answered the call, moving to 
Washington to tackle an important national issue. During his tenure, 
the DOE decontrolled oil, stepped up the pace for filling the Strategic 
Petroleum Reserve, obtained federal aid for three synthetic fuel 
projects and shepherded a nuclear waste measure through Congress. In 
1982, he moved back to South Carolina and assumed the presidency at 
MUSC.
  Dr. Jim Edwards' retirement marks an end to the career of one of 
South Carolina's finest. His impact will be felt for many years to 
come. My wife, Peatsy, joins me in wishing Jim and his wonderful wife, 
Ann, a happy retirement.

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