The records of this series reflect Strom Thurmond's thoughts, opinions, and philosophies on various economic, political, and social issues. This series was created in 1946 when Strom Thurmond ran for Governor of South Carolina and continues through his last term as United States Senator from South Carolina. Most of the material prior to this date concerns the Junior Order of the Woodmen of the World, a fraternal organization to which Thurmond belonged. This series consists of four sub-series: General File, Originals, Post-1983and Recent Additions. A speech indexing system is being developed for the General File sub-series for the years 1935-1983.

The Speeches series contains several different types of speech formats: Addresses, Remarks, Speeches, and Statements made on the Senate Floor and other political platforms. Addresses, Remarks, and Speeches cover such topics as patriotism, concepts of government, and religion. Statements provide remarks Strom Thurmond made on radio, television, and senate committees. Included in Statements on the Senate Floor are numerous articles and editorials which Strom Thurmond submitted to be inserted in the Congressional Record.

The non-speech formats include: Articles, Press Releases, Questions and Answers, Reports to the People, and Telegrams. Most of the Articles are written by or contain information about Thurmond. Questions and Answers are interviews with Strom Thurmond. The Reports to the People are newsletters mailed out to Thurmond's constituents.

The General File (Sub-series A, 1935-1983) contains the final drafts or record copies of Thurmond's speech and non-speech formats. The records of this sub-series clearly show what issues and events affected the state of South Carolina and the rest of the country during Thurmond's political career. Some of the major issues covered are communism, civil rights, voting rights, segregation, prayer in public schools, textile imports, the Panama Canal Treaties, muzzling the military and the Vietnam War. Events include man's first landing on the moon, the first shuttle mission, and the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Jr., and President Anwar el-Sadat of Egypt. In addition, there is material on political campaigns such as Thurmond's 1954 write-in campaign for the United States Senate and the 1964 presidential campaign of Barry Goldwater. Furthermore, there is some information on Thurmond's switch from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party. The General File sub-series can be found on the online catalog and there is a paper draft of it located on the reference shelves in the Reading Room. The Originals (Sub-series B, 1947-1983; 59 cu. ft.) reflect the major topics covered in the General File.

The Originals (Sub-series B, 1947-1983) are arranged chronologically by year; alphabetically by speech format within each year; and then chronologically grouped together within each format. It contains copies of speech materials used by Strom Thurmond when making statements on the senate floor, in articles, press releases, and telegrams. The copies of original speeches may include handwritten additions, deletions and marks indicating pauses, emphasis and cadence. There is some overlap between the contents of the first two sub-series, but there are speeches in Originals that do not appear in the General File, and vice versa. Included in this sub-series are drafts and the final version of the Southern Manifesto. Each speech entry is followed by a numerical code to represent the sequential order of speeches within each folder (ie. 1-1 represents the first speech in folder #1).

Post-1983 (Sub-series C, 1983-1998)

The Recent Additions (Sub-series D, 1937-1954) was created in 1998 when speech files were made available for acquisition from the Thurmond Senate Office in Aiken, South Carolina. The material enhances the General File and Originals sub-series with speeches hitherto made unavailable to the research public.

Important individuals in this sub-series from South Carolina include United States Secretary of State James F. Byrnes, United States Senators Olin D. Johnston and Burnet R. Maybank, State Senator Edgar Brown, and State Representative Solomon Blatt. Other important individuals include United States Presidents Herbert Hoover, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Harry S. Truman.

Important individuals in this series from South Carolina include State Representative Solomon Blatt, State Senator Edgar Brown, James F. Byrnes, United States Congressman Butler Derrick, Harvey Gantt, United States Senators Ernest Hollings, Olin D. Johnston, and Burnet R. Maybank, and Governor Richard W. Riley. Other important individuals include Presidents Jimmy Carter, Gerald R. Ford, Herbert Hoover, Lyndon B. Johnson, John F. Kennedy, Richard M. Nixon, Ronald Reagan, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Harry S. Truman; United States Senators Barry Goldwater, Hubert H. Humphrey and Richard B. Russell; United States Supreme Court Justices Thurgood Marshall and Sandra Day O'Connor; and Martin Luther King, Jr.

The records of this subseries reflect Strom Thurmond's thoughts, opinions, and philosophies on various economic, political, and social issues. This subseries was created in 1998 when speech files were made available for acquisition from the Thurmond Senate Office in Aiken, South Carolina. The material enhances the General File and Originals subseries with speeches hitherto made unavailable to the research public.

The Recent Additions to Speeches subseries contains several different types of speech formats: Addresses, Speeches, and Statements made before, during, and after Thurmond's term of office as Governor of South Carolina (1947-1951). Addresses, Speeches, and Statements cover Thurmond's candidacy for Governor, political ideas for and management of state government, and support for foreign and domestic issues. All speech formats provide remarks Strom Thurmond made on radio, in media publications and personal correspondence, from the state capitol, and throughout South Carolina.

The non-speech formats include Articles and Press Releases. Most of the Articles are written by or contain information about Thurmond. The non-speech formats cover Thurmond's opposition to "The Barnwell Ring", support for state law enforcement and veteran agencies, and endorsement for Dwight D. Eisenhower's bid for the U.S. Presidency.

The folders of the Recent Additions to Speeches subseries are arranged chronologically by year; alphabetically by speech format within each year; and then chronologically within each format.

Important individuals in this subseries from South Carolina include United States Secretay of State James F. Byrnes, United States Senators Olin D. Johnston and Burnet R. Maybank, State Senator Edgar Brown, and State Representative Solomon Blatt. Other important individuals include United States Presidents Herbert Hoover, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Harry S. Truman.