S*0193 Resolution, By Ford
 A SENATE RESOLUTION TO EXTEND BEST WISHES TO FORMER LEGISLATOR AND ADVOCATE
 FOR JUSTICE, THE HONORABLE THOMAS DELANO BROADWATER, SR., ON THE OCCASION OF
 HIS SEVENTIETH BIRTHDAY AND TO WISH HIM CONTINUED GOOD HEALTH AND MUCH
 HAPPINESS IN THE YEARS TO COME.

   01/12/05  Senate Introduced and adopted SJ-10

TO EXTEND BEST WISHES TO FORMER LEGISLATOR AND ADVOCATE FOR JUSTICE, THE HONORABLE THOMAS DELANO BROADWATER, SR., ON THE OCCASION OF HIS SEVENTIETH BIRTHDAY AND TO WISH HIM CONTINUED GOOD HEALTH AND MUCH HAPPINESS IN THE YEARS TO COME.

Whereas, birthdays are joyous occasions to be shared with one's family and friends, and the members of the Senate are honored to recognize this very special day on which the Honorable Thomas Delano Broadwater, Sr. will celebrate seventy years of a full and wonderful life; and

Whereas, Thomas D. Broadwater, Sr. was born in Silverstreet, South Carolina on January 14, 1935, the fifth of seven children born to Samson and Addie Broadwater of Newberry County, South Carolina and was educated in a one-room school house known as The Drayton School; and

Whereas, he along with his six siblings, walked miles each day to attend a separate but equal school in the segregated South; and

Whereas, desiring a better life for himself, he enrolled at South Carolina State College (now South Carolina State University) and worked in the campus soda shop with his mentor, the late Paul Webber of Orangeburg, South Carolina; and

Whereas, Mr. Broadwater soon realized that the education he received at The Drayton School in Newberry, South Carolina had not fully prepared him for the rigorous standards at South Carolina State College; and

Whereas, he withdrew from South Carolina State College and moved to New York City with one suitcase of clothing which he later pawned for money; and

Whereas, Mr. Broadwater worked as a waiter at the Pennsylvania Railroad Station and taught himself to read each evening at New York University School of Law; and

Whereas, he became fascinated with the legislative process and the courts' interpretation of laws; and

Whereas, Mr. Broadwater moved to Frankfurt, Kentucky to attend Kentucky State College (now Kentucky State University) where he met and married Alice Clay of Louisville, Kentucky; and

Whereas, the Broadwaters moved to Boston, Massachusetts where he enrolled at Suffolk University, and she enrolled at Boston State Teacher's College (now the University of Massachusetts), and their first two sons, Thomas Delano Broadwater, Jr., and Douglas Preston Broadwater were born; and

Whereas, Mr. Broadwater met and befriended the late Maynard Jackson, formerly Mayor of Atlanta, Georgia, and sold World Book encyclopedias with him along the eastern coast of the United States; and

Whereas, he and his family decided to move to Tallahassee, Florida where he enrolled at Florida A&M University Law School; and

Whereas, Mr. Broadwater started the JoMo fence company as a law student and provided employment for numerous students; and

Whereas, he and his lovely wife became the proud parents of their first daughter, Paula Ann Broadwater in Tallahassee, Florida; and

Whereas, desiring to return to his home state of South Carolina, and practice law, he then moved his family from Florida to Columbia, South Carolina; and

Whereas, Mr. Broadwater and his wife unknowingly drank the water in South Carolina, and soon became the parents of Mary Jane, Robin Marie, and their third son, Michael Anthony Broadwater; and

Whereas, he met and befriended the late Modjeska Simkins, the late John Roy Harper, and other like-minded persons who were active in forming the United Citizens Party, and was nominated and ran for Governor of the State of South Carolina in 1970; and

Whereas, Mr. Broadwater offered numerous times for public office before becoming elected twice as Representative for South Carolina House District #74 in 1980 and 1982 and served in the South Carolina General Assembly for four years; and

Whereas, he ran a successful law practice for over thirty years before suffering a stroke on Valentine's Day in 1997; and

Whereas, Mr. Broadwater has since fully recovered his health, strength, and sense of humor; and

Whereas, he is the proud grandfather of five granddaughters, Beverly, Michelle, Kari, Madison, and Maya, and five grandsons, Delano, Mitchell, Preston, Clarkson, and Paul who add significant joy to his life; and

Whereas, Mr. Broadwater's birthday is made all the more special by celebrating this joyous occasion with his siblings. He is blessed to have one living brother, Burton Broadwater of Hanover, Massachusetts and four sisters, Hestella Primus of Hartsville, South Carolina, Saloma Davenport of Leonia, New Jersey, Chorsie Calhoun of Silver Spring, Maryland, and Sonja Childs of Newberry, South Carolina; and

Whereas, he believes that a national monument should be erected to honor the victims of lynch mobs, and today expends significant time, energy, and personal resources related to the realization of this altruistic endeavor; and

Whereas, he believes that every African American family should have knowledge of the horrific slave laws that were adopted throughout the United States to brutally modify the behavior of Africans who were brought to this country as slaves, and today devotes significant time, energy, and personal resources related to putting these laws into an easy to read reference book; and

Whereas, the members of the Senate of the State of South Carolina are pleased to wish the Honorable Thomas D. Broadwater, Sr. a very happy seventieth birthday. Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the Senate:

That the members of the Senate, by this resolution, extend best wishes to their former colleague and activist for justice, the Honorable Thomas D. Broadwater, Sr., on the occasion of his seventieth birthday and wish him many more years of health, happiness and prosperity.

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to the Honorable Thomas D. Broadwater, Sr. for presentation at his 70th birthday party.