Strom Thurmond
| James Strom Thurmond | |
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| In office November 7, 1956 – January 3, 2003 |
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| Preceded by | Thomas A. Wofford |
| Succeeded by | Lindsey Graham |
| In office December 24, 1954 – April 4, 1956 |
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| Preceded by | Charles E. Daniel |
| Succeeded by | Thomas A. Wofford |
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| In office January 21, 1947 – January 16, 1951 |
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| Lieutenant | George Bell Timmerman, Jr. |
| Preceded by | Ransome Judson Williams |
| Succeeded by | James F. Byrnes |
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99th, 102nd, & 104th President pro tempore of the United States Senate
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| In office January 3, 1981 – January 3, 1987 |
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| Preceded by | Warren G. Magnuson |
| Succeeded by | John C. Stennis |
| In office January 3, 1995 – January 3, 2001 |
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| Preceded by | Robert Byrd |
| Succeeded by | Robert Byrd |
| In office January 20, 2001 – June 6, 2001 |
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| Preceded by | Robert Byrd |
| Succeeded by | Robert Byrd |
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| In office June 6, 2001 – January 3, 2003 |
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| Preceded by | (N/A - post created) |
| Succeeded by | Robert Byrd |
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| Born | December 5, 1902 Edgefield, South Carolina |
| Died | June 26, 2003 (aged 100) Edgefield, South Carolina |
| Political party | States Rights Democratic (1948-1954) Democratic (1954-1964) Republican (1964-2003) |
| Spouse(s) | Jean Crouch (1947-1960) (deceased) Nancy Janice Moore (1968-2003) (separated 1991-2003) |
| Profession | lawyer, politician |
| Religion | Southern Baptist |
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| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch | United States Army United States Army Reserves |
| Years of service | 1942 - 1963 |
| Rank |  Major General |
| Battles/wars | World War II *Normandy Campaign |
| Awards | Legion of Merit (2) Bronze Star with valor Purple Heart World War II Victory Medal European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal Order of the Crown Croix de Guerre |
James Strom Thurmond (December 5, 1902 - June 26, 2003) was an American politician. He was best known for being the longest and oldest serving member of the United States Senate to date. He was also Governor of his home state South Carolina and a Presidential candidate. He was a lawyer.
Thurmond spent more than 70 year of his life on public career. Before World War II he served as state senator and judge. During war he served in the US Army in Europe and briefly in Asia. In 1960 he was promoted to the rank of major general.
From 1947 to 1951 he served as Governor of South Carolina (as a Democrat). During 1948 U.S. Presidential Election he became the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party faction called "Dixiecrat" (States Rights Democrat, mostly from the South) - people who supported racial segregation and opposed civil rights laws. Thurmond and his Vice Presidential candidate, Mississippi Governor Fielding Lewis Wright finished the race in 's3rd (behind Harry Truman and Thomas Dewey) with 39 electoral votes and they carried 4 states (Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and, of course, Thurmond's home state).
He was elected, as first write-in candidate for major national office, to the Senate in 1954. He was reelected for his first full term in 1956 and served until January 2003. He was originally a Democrat, but in 1964 he openly supported Barry Goldwater's presidential bid and became a Republican.
As the longest serving Republican he was President pro tempore of the United States Senate for three occasions (1981-1987, 1995-2001, and January 2001-June 2001), when Republican gained a majority. After Democrats took over the control of the Senate in June 2001 Thurmond became first honorary "president pro tempore emeritus".
Started his career as opponent of racial integration, in his later years Thurmond supported desegregation.
His longtime Senate rival, Robert Byrd of West Virginia, is on track to surpass Thurmond's record of length of senatorial service, but not chronological age in the Senate, as of June 10, 2006.
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