Date: 1989-07-11
Speaker: MAX LENNON (democrat)
Chamber: S

President. Clemson University. Welcome. ladies and gentlemen. We are here tonight to honor a very specitl person. a very special family. For me it Is an inspiration as I admire Senator Strom Thurmond as a person. as a diplomat. as a political leader In South Carolina. and as one of the most highly respected men in Washington. D.C. I do not know that I have ever met a person like him. because as you know. as you get busier and busier with all the assignments that are attributed to you. you have less and less time for other people. But Senator Thurmond anytime anyone asks. stops and listens In a most unique way. He is one of our most distinguished graduates. so as President of Clemson University. it is spine tingling to be a part of an occasion such as this when we gather to begin to celebrate such a person. We assemble ourselves with a group of admirers and supporters. Senator. in such a way that not only a building. but a program is being put in place that will live forever. It will be a constant reminder to people for many. many generations of what can be done in this great Country. Representative BUTLER DERRICK. Mr. Vice President. its nice to have you in South Carolina. Prime Minister Chales. Senator Thurmond. Senator Hollings. Governor Campbell and President Lennon. In 200 years. about 11.200 men and women have served in the United States Senate and House. History will recognize only a handful of these Legislators who are making lasting contributions to their states. their nation and their time. I am proud to be able to tell you that we have someone here today who will be remembered by historians as both a leader and statesman of his time. Senator Strom Thurmond. His commitment to our State and our Nation has spanned more than 66 years. First as a teacher in Edgefield County. where we are both from. and other positions and now as a United States Senator. It is my privilege to serve with him in the Congress of the United States. Senator HOLLINGS. Today we honor the revolutionary. In 1941. immune from milithry service as a result of his post as Circuit Judge in South Carolina. Strom revolted against that immunity. volunteered. landed on DDay in Normandy. won a Purple Heart and was decorated 18 times by three countries. In 1947 as a young Governor. he revolted against community opinion and pressured the prosecution of 31 white men for the lynching of Willie Earl. a black man. South Carolina has not had a lynching since. In 1948. Strom said originally there was not a dimes worth of difference between the two parties. and he organized a third one. ran as Its presidential nominee and won more electoral votes than George McGovern and Fritz Mondale put together. In 1954. he revolted against the selection of a Senate nominee by the South Carolina Democratic Executive Committee and ran and was elected as the first and only writein United Sates Senator in history. I could go on. but we have a distinguished main speaker here. the Vice President. today. My point is that whenever the crisis arose. Strom met it without a political poll. with conviction and courage. as a leader. and he was right. Absolutely fearless. he would debate you around the clock. and he would wrestle you to the floor. Absolutely tireless. he is in constant motion for the people of South Carolina. People who say they do not trustpoliticlans anymore may be waiting for politicians to behave as though they trust the people. Strom Thurmond trusq the people. He is the epitome of public service. a constant inspiration to me. It is entirely appropriate that this Institute be named for Strom Thurmond. You know. habitually. a university to honor a person. would name a building or institute after them. but today this is the reverse. Clemson University is honored by its association with South Carolinas greatest statesman. Strom Thurmond. Prime Minister EUCENIA CHARLEs. It is not often that politicians are recognized while they are still alive and still serving. You are fortunate. Senator Thurmond. that the years you have served have allowed you the opportunity of seeing your public service appreciated. Perhaps the most striking memory for me of this occasion is the unassuming manner. the laid back attitude. with which you have accepted the recognition given to you by this inauguration and the naming of the Institute for you. Listening and observing you this weekend would lead one to belkc you are saying. "That is all well and good. Thanks to all of you who have made this institute a reality. But let us get on with what really mattersensuring that this Institute performs the task we have envisioned for it--that it be influential in making America a better place for all who live in it." I can understand your motives. though I still marvel at the attitude that you have shown. On behalf of my country. I pledge our fullest cooperation with the Institute so that we together can build a better world. Gov. CARROLL A. CAMPBELL Jr. The legacy of service to the people of South Carolina that was established a century ago by Thomas Green Clemson is personified in the man Strom Thurmond. a 1923 graduate of this University. Those of you who might know me have probably heard me say that I probably would not be Governor if It were not for Senator Thurmond. and the direction which he has provided me throughout my political career. 1 am one of the few people in politics today who has never worked for him. but I have learned a lot from him. Over the years I have learned many lessons from Senator Thurmondnot the least of which is to never forget where you come from. This is the epitome of the leadership that Strom Thurmond has provided throughout his career. There is not a person in South Carolina who has not been touched by the work of Strom Thurmond. Whether it happens to be the roads of South Carolina. the schools of South Carolina. the jobs that are created in this State. Strom Thurmond has had a hand in it. All of us have benefited from his commitment to our State. Today we dedicate the Strom Thunnond Institute to the future leaders of this State. In addition to providing a forum for the exchange of ideas and the development of new ideas. 36 tons of Senator Thurmonds papers and materials will be archived here as a part of South Carolinas history. He just sent half of it. I think. As you know. Senator Thurmond is a frugal man. Frugal with our tax dollars as he is with his own dollars. He has never been known to throw anything away which might serve a useful purpose in the future. whether a scrap of paper or a paper clip. Senator Thurmond. for all the opportunities that you provided the people. and for all of the lives that you have touched through your generosity and compassion. we thank you. Vice President QUAYLE. When I was talking to President Bush yesterday and we were going over our weekend plans. I told him that I would be coming here. He has fond memories of when he was here. Strom. as the Vice President at the groundbreaking ceremony. Now. I am here as Vice President at the dedication. and I cannot walt for what the next Vice President will be doing down at the Strom Thurmond Institute. I am not only personally delighted and honored to be here. but to share the Presidents comments to me. to you and to Nancy and your family. the filends of Clemson and the friends of yours who are gathered here in South Carolina. President George Bush said of Strom Thurmond to me. "Strom Thurmond is. in fact. one of the outstanding public servants in our American history." That you truly are. Strom. As I have moved on to the Office of Vice President. some might not say up but on. Fritz and Strom would appreciate this. a friend of mine in Washington the other day introduced me as a former Senator. somebody who used to have an important position in Washington. D.C. I can recall with fond memory. many times in the United States Senate. walking in and there being a Thurmond amendment or a Thurmond bill on the floor. You would walk down the aisle to find out exactly what it is. and Strom would be there to coach you. Fritz knows what I am talking about. too. The coaching of Strom Thurmond is a very firm grasp of his hand around your bicep. saying very gently in that southern language that he speaks so well. "I need your vote." If there was any procrastination. the tighter the grip got. And I learned very quickly. Fritz. I dont know about you. I said yes early on. Because Strom Thurmond Is tenacious. If you dont believe me. you can see the imprint that is still with me from Strom Thurmond for my years of service with him in the United States Senate. Not only was he willing to gently and politely take on his colleagues in the Senate. I will always remember the diplomacy and the artful skill of your senior Senator from South Carolina In a meeting with President Ronald Reagan one day talking about his favorite issuetextiles. There was a group of about 10 or 15 of us. We were all sitting there and the President was standing. and all of a sudden Strom Thurmond rose. and we knew what was on his mind. We knew that here was the President of the United States and Senator Strom Thurmond. We were wondering who was going to win this one. Strom. in his very best. says. "Mr. President." and you know what a supporter Strom was of Ronald Reagan. "you know I love you. and I respect you and I always vote with you. But on this issue. Mr. President. youre getting bad advice from your advisers." Then he commenced to chew out the advisers right in front of the President of the United States. That is your Senator I certainly believe tha in participating in this dedication ceremony here today. all of us are helping to launch a unique education. al Institution. A home not only for books and scholars and archives. but for ideas. Ideas that will shape the future of our nation. Indeed I would go so far as to say that nothing is more decisive for the health and well being of a country than the ideas its people have about the fundamental issues of public policy. Fortunately we live at a time in history when the idea of freedomfree elections. free markets. freedom of choicehas captured the imagination of the world. Once It was competently asserted that socialism was the wave of the future. Today even the socialist countries know better. Today it is clear that freedom works. the market works. not Just here in America. but nations everywhere in the world. The question facing us today is this. How do we transform the promise of freedom into a better life for all Americans and for all of mankind? How do we design public policies that promote growth. that foster opportunity and that strengthen the peace? These are the Issues that Strom Thurmond has been concerned with throughout his long and distinguished public careerissues that the occupants of this building will be pondering in the years to come. Of course. you and I all know that there are no final answers. Every discovery opens up new avenues of inquiry. Every policy idea poses new issues. new complexities and all sorts of unexpected twists and turns. and though the Journey is an endless one. It is very much worth making. For in the very process of making it. we find that we. too. are somewhat transformed. We grow rich with experience. ripe with wisdom and razorsharp with knowledge. In short. we become a little bit like the man who we are honoring today. Strom Thurmond. So. Strom. I congratulate you on this remarkable building that bears your name. your heritage. things that you stand for. I can only hope that along with your papers and your memorabilia. a bit of your spirit has entered into these walls to inspire and instruct the men and women who will follow in your footsteps. Strom Thurmond. you as an individual. are an institution. You are the one that has advanced the power of ideas. You have put ideas on the table. you have waged the philosophical and ideological battles throughout your public service. And so today we are here to dedicate the Strom Thurmond Institute in your name. for your heritage and for what you have done not just for South Carolina. but for a nation and for our world. Thank you. congratulations on a job well done. and God Bless you and your family.