[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 96 (Thursday, June 26, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8710-S8711]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    HONORING SENATOR STROM THURMOND

  Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I wish to take a minute to say a few words 
in

[[Page S8711]]

honor of Strom Thurmond, our friend and former colleague, who passed 
away today.
  From the moment Strom Thurmond set foot in this Chamber in 1954, he 
has been setting records. He was the only person ever elected to the 
U.S. Senate on a write-in vote. He set the record for the longest 
speech on the Senate floor, clocked at an astounding 24 hours and 18 
minutes. He was the longest serving Senator in the history of the 
Senate. He was also the oldest serving Senator. Many of my colleagues 
will recall the momentous occasion in September of 1998 when he cast 
his 15,000th vote in the Senate. With these and so many other 
accomplishments over the years, he has appropriately been referred to 
as ``an institution within an institution.''
  In 1902, the year Strom Thurmond was born, life expectancy was 51 
years--and today it is 77 years. Strom continued to prove that, by any 
measure, he was anything but average.
  He saw so much in his life. To provide some context, let me point out 
that during his lifetime, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona, Alaska and 
Hawaii gained Statehood, and 11 amendments were added to the 
Constitution. The technological advancements he witnessed, from the 
automobile to the airplane to the Internet, literally spanned a century 
of progress. Conveniences we have come to take for granted today were 
not always part of Strom Thurmond's world. Perhaps this explains why, 
during Judiciary Committee hearings, he was often heard asking 
witnesses who were too far away from the microphone to ``please speak 
into the machine.''
  The story of his remarkable political career truly could fill several 
volumes. It began with a win in 1928 for the Edgefield County 
Superintendent of Schools. Eighteen years later, he was Governor of 
South Carolina. Strom was even a Presidential candidate in 1948, 
running on the ``Dixiecrat'' ticket against Democrat Harry Truman.
  I must admit, he came a long way in his political career, given that 
he originally came to the Senate as a Democrat. I was happy to say that 
wisdom came within a few short years when Strom saw the light and 
joined the Republican Party.
  When I first arrived in the Senate in January of 1977, he was my 
mentor. As my senior on the Judiciary Committee, it was Strom Thurmond 
who helped me find my way and learn how the committee functioned. He 
was not only a respected colleague, but a personal friend.

  During his tenure as chairman of the Judiciary Committee, Strom 
Thurmond left an indelible mark on the committee and the laws that came 
through it. He became known and respected for many fine qualities and 
positions--his devotion to the Constitution, his toughness on crime, 
his sense of fairness.
  He was famous for his incredible grip. Many of us in this Chamber had 
the experience of Strom Thurmond holding our arm tightly as he explains 
a viewpoint and asked for our support. I might add that this proved to 
be a very effective approach.
  Strom was also known to have a kind word or greeting for everyone who 
came his way, and for being extremely good to his staff. Despite his 
power and influence, he never forgot the importance of small acts of 
kindness. For example, whenever he ate in the Senate dining room, he 
grabed two fistfuls of candy. When he returned to the floor of the 
Senate, he handed the candy out to the Senate pages. Unfortunately, it 
was usually melted into a keleidoscope of sugar by then. I have a 
feeling that the pages preferred it when Strom took them out for ice 
cream.
  Strom Thurmond was truly a legend--someone to whom the people of 
South Carolina owe an enormous debt of gratitude for all his years of 
service.
  Clearly, the people of South Carolina recognize the sacrifices he 
made and are grateful for all he did for them. In fact, you cannot 
mention the name Strom Thurmond in South Carolina without the audience 
bursting into spontaneous applause. He truly was an American political 
icon.
  Abraham Lincoln once said that ``The better part of one's life 
consists of friendships.'' With a friend like Strom Thurmond, this 
sentiment could not be more true. I am a great admirer of Strom 
Thurmond, and I am proud to have called him my friend.
  One final note about Strom Thurmond. He was a great patriot. A 
decorated veteran of World War II who fought at Normandy on D-day, 
Strom Thurmond loved this country. Let me close by saying that this 
country loved him, too.

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