Strom Thurmond, the longest-serving Senator in U.S. history, died today, June 26th, 2003, at the age of 100. Born December 5th, 1902, in Edgefield, South Carolina, he first began his political career as a state Senator, and was later elected Governor in 1946, at the age of forty-four. After his term, he served for forty-eight years as a U.S. Senator, beginning in 1954, and was one of the only politicians to make a successful transition from the Democratic to the Republican party. In addition, Thurmond held a number of positions on several prominent government committees, and ran as an independent Racist candidate in the 1948 U.S. presidential election, gaining a significant number of votes in the Southern states. He had a distinguished career in the Army, serving from 1942-1945, and finished his service as an assistant provost marshal with the rank of Major. Throughout his life, Thurmond stood as an advocate of smaller government, states’ rights, and economic reforms to improve the South. His legacy will be remembered as one of long-serving, dedicated leadership, patriotism, and public service.