Strom Thurmond Collection, Executive Assistant Series
Series — Box: 1-107
Identifier: Mss-0100-16
The records of this series contain material generally from the 1970's and the early 1980's, and clearly reflect the functions of the executive assistant. These materials include correspondence, memorandums, reports, applications, bank receipts and statements, magazine articles and newspaper clippings, blueprints and plans, photographs, and some speeches.
The Executive Assistant Series contains materials covering projects, grants, political campaigns, and other topics. Much of the information in this series concerns low-income housing projects, grant applications, water and sewer system projects and various development projects. In addition, there is some information on Title X grants and loans for colleges and universities. There are materials concerning the political campaigns of 1964, 1966, 1972 and 1978. Among these are notebooks concerning President Gerald Ford's and Senator Strom Thurmond's views and accomplishments and the records of the Thurmond Speaks Committee, which was involved with the 1964 Presidential Campaign of Barry Goldwater.
Among the important subjects covered in the Subject File subseries are the Richard B. Russell Dam and Lake (formerly Trotters Shoals Dam), the Santee-Cooper Swamp, the Charleston Harbor, Fort Moultrie, Patriot's Point and the N.S. Savannah, and the Congaree Swamp. In addition, there are materials concerning the building of piers on the Wando River in Charleston County, South Carolina, and the Southern Regional Council's report on the "Orangeburg Massacre" in which three black students were killed in February 1968. Furthermore, there are records concerning the Army Corps of Engineers, the South Carolina Resources Development Corporation, the Health Maintenance Organization of South Carolina, and the Chicago Bridge and Iron Company. There are numerous telegrams which Thurmond sent concerning grants and loans for South Carolina, and stenographer's notes written by three of the executive assistants.
Important South Carolinians in this series include Solomon Blatt, Walter J. Brown, James F. Byrnes, Roger Milliken, and Joseph P. Riley; United States Senator Olin D. Johnston; United States Congressmen Butler Derrick, William Jennings Bryan Dorn, Tom S. Gettys, John L. McMillan, L. Mendel Rivers, and Ed Young; Mayors John T. Campbell (Columbia), Max M. Heller (Greenville), and Robert L. Stoddard (Spartanburg). Other important individuals include United States Senators Birch Bayh, Harry F. Byrd, Sam J. Ervin, Jr., Barry Goldwater, Mike Mansfield, and John Stennis; Governors Ronald Reagan and George Wallace ; and Billy Graham and J. Edgar Hoover.
The Executive Assistant handled all of the matters connected with projects in Senator Thurmond's office. This individual was responsible for all contacts with federal departments and agencies, and with the state and local governments and their agencies. The executive assistant established and maintained agency contacts and sources of information. He was responsible for all contacts with embassies of foreign countries, particularly on immigration matters. In addition, this person performed special assignments or investigations as directed by the senator. The Executive Assistant kept the senator informed on the all important administrative rulings made by government departments and agencies, and matters of interest in the executive departments. Furthermore, he represented the senator before administrative boards and tribunals when directed, and testified where appropriate. Finally, the executive assistant helped during political campaigns. In 1988, the title of the position was changed to Projects Director.
48.15 Cubic Feet
English
This series is arranged alphabetically by subject and chronologically / alphabetically within each folder.
The following photographs were moved to the Strom Thurmond Collection Photographs Series:
The conversion of this finding aid to Encoded Archival Description format was made possible with a grant from the South Carolina State Historical Records Advisory Board in 2009-2010. The finding aid was prepared for encoding by Jen Bingham.
Part of the Clemson University Libraries Special Collections and Archives Repository