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H. 5355

STATUS INFORMATION

Concurrent Resolution
Sponsors: Rep. Bowers
Document Path: l:\council\bills\pt\1952mm04.doc

Introduced in the House on May 25, 2004
Introduced in the Senate on May 25, 2004
Adopted by the General Assembly on May 25, 2004

Summary: Hampton County Guardian newspaper

HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

     Date      Body   Action Description with journal page number
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   5/25/2004  House   Introduced, adopted, sent to Senate HJ-13
   5/25/2004  Senate  Introduced, adopted, returned with concurrence SJ-12

View the latest legislative information at the LPITS web site

VERSIONS OF THIS BILL

5/25/2004

TO CONGRATULATE THE HAMPTON COUNTY GUARDIAN NEWSPAPER ON THE OCCASION OF ITS ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-FIFTH ANNIVERSARY AND TO EXTEND BEST WISHES TO THE PAPER FOR THE FUTURE.

Whereas, the Hampton County Guardian is one of Hampton County's oldest traditions and has been publishing today's news and tomorrow's history of the community for more than one hundred twenty-five years; and

Whereas, founded on August 22, 1879, by then twenty-four-year-old Miles Benjamin McSweeney, The Guardian's editorial excellence is reflected in the numerous awards received by the paper and its staff over the years; and

Whereas, the newspaper has recorded the growth and progress of Hampton County, always standing as a sentry of sorts: serving the public's right to know, boosting business, aiding worthy causes, and protecting the public interest; and

Whereas, when the young Mr. McSweeney began publication of the Hampton County Guardian, he had already published the Ninety-Six Guardian in the Upstate and had been selling newspapers in Charleston for his father since the age of ten; and

Whereas, the newspaper operation began in a small wooden building on Lee Avenue in downtown Hampton, across the street from its current location; and the newspaper saw the county through the tough times of Reconstruction, playing a key role in helping shape a new government for the county and life for the people; and

Whereas, the Hampton County Guardian continued to prosper in spite of Mr. McSweeney's hiatus from the newspaper business operation after first being elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives by the citizens of Hampton County in 1894, being elected to the post of Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina in 1896, taking over as Governor of South Carolina upon the death of Governor W.H. Ellerbe in office in 1899, and being re-elected to a full term in 1900; and

Whereas, a print shop and new home for The Guardian was built in 1910, shortly after Mr. McSweeney's death in 1909, and the paper remained in family ownership and was edited and published by Mr. McSweeney's son, Eugene McSweeney; and

Whereas, Eugene created the Allendale County Citizen newspaper in 1919 and, after his death in 1936, his widow, Florence Humphries McSweeney, continued as editor and publisher of both The Guardian and The Citizen until she retired in 1944; and

Whereas, upon her retirement in 1944, Florence sold the paper to Caldwell-Maner Publishing Company; in 1947, the company added the Jasper County Record to its list of publications and Tom O'Connor became editor and publisher until his death in 1969; and

Whereas, after her husband's death, Martha Young O'Connor continued the publication of The Citizen and The Guardian and she eventually sold the papers to Banner Publishers, Inc., of Camden in January 1974; and

Whereas, the Hampton County Guardian moved back home to Hampton County with Patrick Tyler as editor and publisher in 1974 and Mrs. O'Connor still serving as director of The Citizen, and in 1975, David Cowan served as editor of the two newspapers and Wayne Zurenda later served as interim editor until Martha Bee Anderson became editor in April of 1975; and

Whereas, today The Guardian is owned by Community Newspapers, Inc., based in Athens, Georgia, has a staff of six people, directed by editor and publisher, Wayne Knuckles, and has grown from a weekly averaging eight pages to issues that approach forty pages on a regular basis. Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring:

That the members of the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina, by this resolution, congratulate the Hampton County Guardian newspaper on the occasion of its one hundred twenty-fifth anniversary and extend best wishes to the paper for the future.

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to Wayne Knuckles of the Hampton County Guardian.

This web page was last updated on Monday, December 7, 2009 at 10:43 A.M.