[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 1 (Tuesday, January 6, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E9-E10]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   TRIBUTES FOR GOV. JAMES B. EDWARDS

                                  _____
                                 

                            HON. JOE WILSON

                           of south carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, January 6, 2015

  Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, the hometown, Charleston 
Lowcountry daily newspaper of the Post and Courier recognized Doctor 
Edwards with a thoughtful editorial and heartfelt columns were provided 
by former staffers Robert G. Liming and Ron Brinson.

               [From The Post and Courier, Dec. 27, 2014]

                            James B. Edwards

       James B. Edwards exhibited, among many other positive 
     attributes, a keen sense of the politically possible. So when 
     the oral surgeon from Mount Pleasant launched his 1974 
     gubernatorial bid, he knew it was a very long shot.
       Yet he also knew something few politicians or pundits of 
     that time realized: A powerful public demand for limited 
     government and fiscal responsibility--and for a more 
     conservative Republican party to lead that charge--was on the 
     rise.
       It was made to order for Dr. Edwards' political philosophy. 
     And his engaging personal style helped him advance those 
     goals on behalf of the public he served so well for so long 
     as, among other jobs, governor of South Carolina and 
     president of the Medical University of South Carolina.
       His death Friday at age 87 warrants a fresh recognition of 
     his remarkable, admirable legacy--in and out of elective 
     office.
       How stacked did the deck look against Dr. Edwards' 1974 run 
     for governor?
       It had been less than two years since he had won his first 
     elective office as a state senator. It had been three years 
     since he had lost his run for the 1st District congressional 
     seat, though he did win the GOP nonmination in that race.
       And it had been 100 years since South Carolinians had 
     elected a Republican governor. Dr. Edwards' GOP primary 
     opponent, retired Gen. William Westmoreland, had a huge name-
     recognition edge. And even after Dr. Edwards won that 
     primary, he again was the underdog in the general election.
       But Democratic primary winner Charles ``Pug'' Ravenel was 
     removed as his party's nominee on a residency challenge, 
     elevating runner-up William Jennings Bryan Dorn to the 
     ballot. Dr. Edwards made 20th century history by defeating 
     the 13-term congressman from the 3rd District.
       During his 1975-79 gubernatoral tenure, Dr. Edwards further 
     established himself as a major player in the GOP's shift to 
     the right. After initially supporting former Texas Gov. John 
     Connally, Gov. Edwards became a prominent supporter of Ronald 
     Reagan's 1976 bid for the party's presidential nomination 
     against incumbent Gerald Ford. Though that effort fell short, 
     it set the stage for Mr. Reagan's successful 1980 run.
       Despite his solid conservative credentials, Gov. Edwards 
     established himself as a master of crossing party lines. As 
     governor, he worked with the Democratic-controlled Senate and 
     House to expand South Carolina's industrial base with 
     assorted incentives, uplift poor school districts with the 
     Education Finance Act and protect the state's long-term 
     financial stability with a ``rainy day'' fund.
       Gov. Edwards also advanced the reorganization of state 
     government. One of his allies in Columbia, Carroll Campbell, 
     later became an effective champion of that cause during his 
     two terms as governor (1987-95).
       S.C. governors were limited to a single term when Dr. 
     Edwards served in that position. So after Mr. Reagan won the 
     presidency in 1980, Dr. Edwards became U.S. energy secretary.
       He and President Reagan advocated eliminating the 
     department. As then-Secretary Edwards warned: ``There is only 
     one thing that produces energy, and that's the private 
     sector, which government has hamstrung.''
       Secretary Edwards and his boss pushed to fold the agency 
     into the Department of Commerce. Though Congress wouldn't go 
     along with that, Energy Secretary Edwards did manage to 
     deeply cut the agency's budget and reduce its staff by 2,000.
       He stepped up to another challenge in 1996, joining fellow 
     former Govs. Campbell, John West, Robert McNair and Dick 
     Riley in bi-partisan backing of Gov. David Beasley's 
     courageous call to remove the Confederate battle flag from 
     the Statehouse dome.
       And under his 1982-99 leadership as MUSC president, the 
     size of the campus more than tripled from 1.5 million square 
     feet to 5 million square feet. Along the expanding way, 
     MUSC's reputation for providing both high-quality medical 
     education and health care grew, too. In that ongoing process, 
     the school has attracted top medical, research and teaching 
     talent.
       MUSC paid fitting tribute to its former leader in 2010 when 
     it dedicated the James B. Edwards College of Dental Medicine. 
     At the time of the dental college dedication, Dr. Jack 
     Sanders, dean of that school, offered this accurate 
     assessment of Dr. Edwards' lasting contributions:
       ``His entire life stands as a testament to the values of 
     integrity and service, which we hope to instill in each of 
     our students.''
       James B. Edwards' legacy in South Carolina, at MUSC and 
     beyond will long live on.

               [From The Post and Courier, Dec. 27, 2014]

        Jim Edwards Had Transformative Role in S.C. Shift to GOP

                         (By Robert G. Liming)

       He wasn't a four-star general, legendary Old South 
     congressman or media-savvy Wall Street investment broker, yet 
     he forever transformed Palmetto State politics.
       James Burrows Edwards was the exception to every rule in 
     predictable partisan politics. The affable oral surgeon was 
     given no chance of being elected as he paid his filing fee at 
     GOP Headquarters on Columbia's Harden Street in spring of 
     1974.
       He defied backroom dealmakers in the then fledgling 
     Republican Party by thrashing their hand-picked contender, 
     West Pointer Gen. William C. Westmoreland, in the Republican 
     primary.
       Democratic Party bosses were so fearful of a Westmoreland 
     candidacy they failed to notice the meteoric rise of Wall 
     Street whiz Charles D. ``Pug'' Ravenel who used slick 
     television ads and media manipulation to stunningly defeat 
     their anointed, veteran Greenwood congressman, William 
     Jennings Bryan Dorn, in a bitterly contested primary.
       Dorn surprisingly became the eventual Democratic nominee 
     after a tumultuous legal battle resulting in a Supreme Court 
     ruling disqualifying Ravenel because he failed to meet the 
     state's legal residency requirement. The court's decision 
     paved the

[[Page E10]]

     way for Edwards' implausible November election win. His cash-
     starved campaign's upset signaled the end of the Democratic 
     death-grip dominance over the state's 46 county courthouses.
       Jim Edwards took the oath on a frigid January morning in 
     1975 and rocked the very political foundation of the 
     Statehouse. Defying political pundits and power brokers, he 
     became the first Republican chief executive since the Union 
     troops fled Columbia, leaving then-Gov. Daniel Chamberlain 
     holding his empty carpetbag.
       Most current ``life-long'' Republican officeholders never 
     met Jim, and those who did can hardly grasp the fact they owe 
     their very opportunity to serve to his courage, character and 
     dedication to public service. There were less than two dozen 
     Republicans in the legislature in 1974, and Nikki Haley was 
     only three years old the evening Jim gave his first state of 
     the State address.
       I was a brash and flippant political reporter when I 
     accepted the role as his official spokesman, a hard choice 
     for him since he really didn't know me well. But like so many 
     decisions he made, Jim took his time, weighed all the facts, 
     sought the advice of others and made the final decision on 
     his own. We grew closer and soon our inner office humor 
     abounded, I recall how I coined his nickname as ``veto king'' 
     and he labeled me as ``Dr. No'' because of the effort I put 
     into composing the veto messages he signed on numerous pieces 
     of legislation. As a Republican it was his strongest weapon 
     against a Democratic-dominated General Assembly when 
     compromise became impossible.
       In today's atmosphere of instant assessment, weblogs of 
     every ilk, and babbling talking heads few if any will recall 
     his countless accomplishments. Jim's strongest skill was his 
     personal ability to sit down one on one and resolve issues, a 
     talent so sadly missing today in Columbia and Washington. Jim 
     was the leader in establishing the state's ``rainy day'' 
     reserve fund to cover budget shortfalls and unforeseen 
     emergencies; he championed the Education Finance Act to 
     ensure equal funding options for all public schools; led the 
     fight for the state's first tidelands protection laws; and 
     pioneered the reform of the state's festeringly inefficient 
     and ineffective cash-devouring welfare system.
       He had no political hit list and he held no grudges. Jim 
     was guided by the wisdom and character he learned from his 
     school teacher parents; the patriotism he shared as a 
     Merchant Marine and later Navy officer; the caring he learned 
     as a surgeon; and his abiding faith and trust in God.
       His first love was for his forever first lady, Ann, their 
     precious daughter and son, Catherine and James Jr., and the 
     beloved grandchildren. Yet there was always a special place 
     in his heart for the people of South Carolina, including the 
     Allendale dyed-in-the-wool Democrat farmer who Jim always 
     trusted because he voted for the other guy!
       As I recall Jim, this verse will always come to mind: Mark 
     1:11. We will miss you and your wonderful smile; you were an 
     extraordinary governor, wonderful boss and a dear friend.


                      [From The Post and Courier]

          Fundamental Goodness Was the Essence of Jim Edwards

                            (By Ron Brinson)

       Jim Edwards has died, and there is a void in the heart and 
     soul and political spirit of his beloved South Carolina.
       This good man was an American patriot, a principled leader.
       His gracious humility framed his soaring intellect.
       His life was anchored by those simple old-fashioned 
     American values of education and enterprise, of caring for 
     your family and your neighbors and your country--and always 
     translating that ``care'' with meaningful commitments and 
     achievement.
       He was my friend. He was everyone's friend.
       History's bare facts will describe Dr. Edwards as one of 
     those upstart Goldwater Republicans who back in the '60s 
     forged a special brand of post-war American conservatism. He 
     stood side by side with the likes of Ronald Reagan as the 
     Grand Old Party of Abraham Lincoln was reborn, or in today's 
     parlance, ``rebooted.''
       But in the mid-'60s, Jim Edwards was a young oral surgeon, 
     married to Ann Darlington, the love of his life, and they had 
     a very young family. Personal and professional sacrifice 
     defined his entry into what he once called ``patriot 
     politics.'' He was determined, he said, to square America's 
     political compass with ``the values and principles that make 
     America America.''
       In 1974, he was a Charleston-area state senator encouraged 
     to run in the Republican primary for governor--against 
     William Westmoreland, the retired four-star commanding 
     general of U.S. forces in Vietnam. At the time it seemed to 
     many--and perhaps to Dr. Edwards himself--that he was merely 
     the sacrificial political lamb for Gen. Westmoreland's 
     homecoming reach for the governor's office.
       Four decades later, we might reckon it was a package of 
     mysterious and fortuitous political providence at work, 
     confecting a dramatic turning point for South Carolina's 
     politics and for Jim Edwards' leadership career. Dr. Edwards 
     was a natural born campaigner, so genuine and sincere. Truth 
     is, Gen. Westmoreland really never had much of a chance to 
     win that primary.
       But then Jim Edwards didn't have much chance, either, to 
     prevail in his general election campaign against Democrat 
     Charles ``Pug'' Ravenel, the Charleston-born Wall Street 
     whiz-kid investment banker. Ah, but providence often is a 
     persistent force in the chancy processes of politics. Mr. 
     Ravenel ran afoul of a five-year residential requirement. He 
     might still have had Lowcountry pluff-mud in his toes, but 
     the S.C. Supreme Court nullified his candidacy. Jim Edwards 
     had performed well on the primary campaign trail, and some 
     big-name folks with big bank accounts were lining up to 
     respond to his call for a march back toward ``conservatism.''
       U.S. Rep. William Jennings Bryan Dorn, D-Greenwood, with 
     his late start and his party well off balance, had only a 
     puncher's chance as Ravenel's replacement. On Nov. 5, 1974, 
     James Burrows Edwards became the first Republican governor of 
     South Carolina since Reconstruction. In his affable and witty 
     manner, he declared. ``A lot of Democrats will say I'm the 
     first mistake South Carolina has made in a hundred years.''
       Dr. Edwards, in his inaugural speech, emphasized an often-
     neglected value of elected governance--results over 
     partisanship. ``I begin not with any partisan goals or debts 
     to any special interests, but rather as the recipient of a 
     public trust from 2.8 million great people; people who are 
     hungry for leadership that is not concerned with politics, 
     but dedicated to building responsive and effective 
     government. Let us all reach across political barriers and 
     work together to improve our state . . .''
       The politics of election and then governance are different, 
     and for Gov. Edwards, ``non-partisanship'' equaled political 
     smartness. With only a handful of Republicans in the 
     Legislature, he worked proactively to calibrate agendas with 
     Speaker of the House Sol Blatt, and Senate leaders Marion 
     Gressette and Rembert Dennis.
       ``The agenda is important,'' he once told Sens. Gressette 
     and Dennis. ``But we have to work, too, on how best to work 
     together.''
       A few years ago, he lamented with that warming smile, 
     ``Sometimes, it feels like the biggest problem with 
     Republicans is that we've forgotten how to get along with 
     each other.''
       Everyone, it seemed, got along with Jim Edwards. His 
     gubernatorial record showed steady improvements fiscally and 
     in public education, a nice package of organizational and 
     management reforms and a new emphasis on marketing South 
     Carolina for industrial and commercial growth. Against the 
     very strong opposition of his Mount Pleasant neighbors, Gov. 
     Edwards approved the S.C. State Ports Authority,s Wando 
     container terminal project.
       And folks always appreciated Jim Edwards' ``style'' of 
     friendship and loyalty.
       As President Reagan's energy secretary, he fronted Reagan's 
     agenda to terminate the Department of Energy. Editorialists 
     were merciless. ``It was a joyless ride of misinformed 
     `establishment' ridicule,'' Dr. Edwards once said, laughing. 
     ``But President Reagan felt very strongly about this and my 
     job was to try to get it done.''
       The U.S. Department of Energy still stands, of course, but 
     respect and admiration for Jim Edwards were ascending even as 
     he left Washington in 1982 to assume the presidency of the 
     Medical University of South Carolina. His tenure there was 
     exceptional, especially in growing the school's foundation 
     endowments, something very related to his standing in 
     industry and politics.
       Every elected leader should consider Jim Edwards' point 
     about working first to get along with each other. Every 
     American might consider the grid of patriotic and good 
     governance principles that guided his personal, professional 
     and political lives. But for those who knew this good man for 
     a moment--or for 50 years--we will rejoice that we crossed 
     paths with him.
       A year ago, after Dr. Edwards had suffered a stroke, I 
     asked him about his ``legacy.'' He answered softly, ``That 
     can be so subjective; it's in the eyes of the beholder.''
       I told him I wanted an answer, that I might be writing 
     commentary one day about his ``legacy.''
       He paused for a moment and then added, ``I hope someone 
     will say I loved my family and my country, and that they 
     noticed I always tried to do my best.''
       Let us not be confused by such natural humility; Jim 
     Edwards truly was a great man.

                          ____________________