photo by US Gov
Birth Name: James Strom Thurmond
Date of Birth: December 5, 1902
Place of Birth: Edgefield, South Carolina, U.S.
Date of Death: June 26, 2003
Place of Death: Edgefield, South Carolina, U.S.
Ethnicity: German, English
Strom Thurmond was an American politician. He was a member of the Democratic Party from 1946 to 1964, and the Republican Party from 1964 to 2003, his death. He was also a Dixiecrat in 1948. He was Governor of South Carolina, from January 21, 1947 to January 16, 1951, a U.S. Senator from South Carolina, from December 24, 1954 to April 4, 1956, and again from November 7, 1956 to January 3, 2003, President pro tempore of the U.S. Senate, from January 3, 1981 to January 3, 1987, January 3, 1995 to January 3, 2001, and January 20, 2001 to June 6, 2001, and President pro tempore emeritus of the U.S. Senate, from June 6, 2001 to January 3, 2003.
He was the States’ Rights Democratic Party (Dixiecrat) nominee for President of the United States in 1948. The party was a segregationist political party that was both founded and dissolved in 1948, winning 4 states in that year’s presidential election.
Strom was the son of Eleanor Gertrude (Strom) and John William Thurmond. He was married to Jean Crouch and Nancy Moore. Among his children is politician Paul Thurmond, with Nancy, as well as Essie Mae Washington-Williams, a teacher and author. Strom fathered Essie with his family’s African-American maid, Carrie Butler.
Strom’s paternal grandfather was George Washington Thurmond (the son of John Thurmond and Elinor Delaughter).
Strom’s paternal grandmother was Mary Jane Felter.
Strom’s maternal grandfather was James Harrison Strom (the son of Samuel C. Strom). Samuel was the son of William Strom.
Strom’s maternal grandmother was Martha Evelyn Reynolds (the daughter of Lewis Reynolds and Strother J. Morris). Lewis was the son of William Lewis Reynolds and Martha.
Source: Genealogy of Strom Thurmond – https://www.geni.com