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S. 1072

STATUS INFORMATION

Senate Resolution
Sponsors: Senators Campsen, Cleary, Campbell, Grooms, Thurmond and Bennett
Document Path: l:\s-res\gec\053ann .kmm.gec.docx

Introduced in the Senate on February 10, 2016
Adopted by the Senate on February 10, 2016

Summary: Ann Darlington Edwards

HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

     Date      Body   Action Description with journal page number
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   2/10/2016  Senate  Introduced and adopted (Senate Journal-page 2)

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VERSIONS OF THIS BILL

2/10/2016

TO RECOGNIZE AND HONOR MRS. ANN DARLINGTON EDWARDS FOR HER MANY YEARS OF DEDICATED SERVICE AND CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE CITIZENS OF THE PALMETTO STATE.

Whereas, Mrs. Ann Darlington Edwards was born in Edgefield, South Carolina to Stephen Paxson Darlington, II and Miriam Norris Darlington. After attending high school, Mrs. Edwards joined the Cadet Nurse Corps., but the war ended before she completed her training. She eventually graduated from Columbia Hospital School of Nursing and her first assignment was working with patients affected by polio in North Carolina; and

Whereas, while Ann was working with polio patients, Jim Edwards was serving with Patton's Third Army in Europe. Once he returned home, he called Ann Darlington and after a long courtship, the two were married on September 1, 1951; and

Whereas, shortly after their marriage, the Edwards' moved to Louisville, Kentucky where he entered dental school at the University of Louisville. Ann got a job as the assistant chief nurse at the Louisville Regional Blood Center. While the couple was in Louisville, they welcomed their firstborn, James B. "Jim" Edwards, Jr. into the family, to be joined later by daughter Catharine Darlington Edwards in 1960; and

Whereas, after the Edwards' moved back to Charleston in 1960, Dr. Edwards began his dental practice and forayed into politics for the first time. He served as the Republican county chairman and as the district chairman, while Mrs. Edwards helped found the East Cooper Republican Women's group, an organization that became effective on both local and state levels; and

Whereas, Mr. Edwards was elected governor in 1974 and served for one term from 1975-1979. During his tenure as governor, Mr. Edwards reinstated the death penalty in South Carolina, and oversaw the passage of landmark legislation designed to redistribute education funds for the benefit of poorer schools in the state, the Education Finance Act. Last year, the South Carolina General Assembly enacted S. 437, a civics education bill named after Governor Edwards; and

Whereas, during her time as First Lady, Mrs. Edwards established the Governor's Mansion Foundation and led the charge to acquire historic property, including the Caldwell-Boylston House, which completed the Governor's Mansion complex. In response to the lack of information about the State's governors, first families, and Governor's Mansion, Mrs. Edwards worked with Dr. Walter Edgar to write "The Governor's Mansion of the Palmetto State", which was published in 1978; and

Whereas, after his term as governor, Mr. Edwards was appointed by President Reagan to serve as Secretary of Energy. After two years in the position, he resigned to serve as president of the Medical University of South Carolina, a position he held for seventeen years; and

Whereas, after his retirement as president, the Edwards' remained active with the college. Mrs. Edwards was the force behind the renovation of the MUSC College of Nursing Facility. In response to their efforts, MUSC established the Ann Darlington Edwards Endowed Chair of Nursing in her honor in 1999 and her portrait is the only one to grace the 2nd floor drawing room. The MUSC Dental School was named the James B. Edwards College of Dental Medicine in 2010; and

Whereas, Mrs. Edwards has been actively involved in organizations and projects throughout the state, including serving on the board of the South Carolina Hall of Fame. She was co-chair of a project that raised a million dollars to save the ancestral home of Charles Pinckney, one of the writers of the United States Constitution. In 2008 she was named "Woman of the Year" by the South Carolina Women's Republican Caucus; and

Whereas, Mrs. Edwards now lives in Mt. Pleasant at her family home, "O Be Joyful", named after a drink served to her and Dr. Edwards by the previous homeowner. The Edwards' purchased the home in 1974 and Mrs. Edwards has lived there since 1979; and

Whereas, the members of the Senate are grateful for the legacy of leadership that both Governor and Mrs. Edwards have bestowed on the State of South Carolina and are appreciative of Mrs. Edward's many contributions to the State through her career in nursing and as First Lady. Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the Senate:

That the members of the Senate, by this resolution, recognize and honor Mrs. Ann Darlington Edwards for her many years of dedicated service and contributions to the citizens of the Palmetto State.

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to Mrs. Ann Darlington Edwards.

This web page was last updated on February 12, 2016 at 3:45 PM