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Orangeburg attorney: Story one of people with 'great character'

"Almost everyone was looking for some spin on this matter. But some things rise to the level of moral consciousness. This does. All the lawyers can go home. This has a happy ending. This is a great day for Essie Williams, the Thurmond family and for South Carolina. Everybody wins," says Orangeburg's Glenn Walters, the Orangeburg attorney who is a representative for the woman coming forward this week to say she is the daughter of the late senator. (Photo by CHRISTOPHER HUFF/T&D)

For the past few days, national media outlets have been beating a path to the door of Orangeburg attorney Glenn Walters. From the time it became public knowledge he was representing Essie Mae Washington-Williams in South Carolina in her claim to be a daughter of the late Sen. Strom Thurmond, Walters has been fielding questions from the news staffs of the major networks.

Walters became a part of the unfolding events a little more than a month ago, when he received a call from California-based attorney Frank Wheaton.

"Frank Wheaton called me and said he has a lady whose father has died and she wants to define her paternity," Walters said. "I told him that I would take care of it."

Then Wheaton told Walters that Williams is his client and she is claiming the late Strom Thurmond was her father.

"I told him that first I would need to know what proof she had of her claim and of course the possibility of examining DNA," Walters said.

Walters also asked to be advised of any materials in Williams' possession that would indicate the late senator had a paternal relationship with her.

"She has letters, check stubs, all from the late senator," Walters said. "From the evidence, I came to the conclusion that she was his daughter. I told Frank that we could go forward."

Going forward meant Walters would assist Williams in making a public declaration in South Carolina that Thurmond was her father.

"And I had phone conversations with Mrs. Williams, her daughter Wanda and Frank (Wheaton) which further convinced me that she is irrefutably the daughter of the late Strom Thurmond," Walters said.

From his conversations with her, Walters described Williams as "a sophisticated woman with an adventurous spirit and encyclopedic knowledge." He delineated some of the reasons that convinced him of the truth of her claim.

"Does she want money? No," he said. "Does she want to embarrass the family? No. Then why? She told me that she wants closure. She has never been able to openly admit that he was her father. And losing her mother when she was quite young, the late senator was her only parent for most of her life.

"And she told me that she loved and respected her father," Walters said. "She said she needed to publicly state that and her children need to know their heritage. And further, it was the right thing to do."

Walters' original plan was to file Williams' pleadings with the courts on Thursday, the day after her planned press conference in Columbia. But with the reaction of the Thurmond family to her claim, it is not definite that Williams will proceed with the press conference.

Expressing only happiness at the manner in which this matter has proceeded, Walters has staunchly refused to contribute to any efforts of media outlets to sensationalize the matter.

"This is really about a group of people who have great character," Walters said. "Essie Williams has the greatness of character to have lived by an agreement she made with her father (that she would not reveal her paternity until after his death). J. Strom Thurmond Jr. has the greatness of character to acknowledge that Mrs. Williams is his sister.

"Just think, the Thurmond family, a pillar of Southern society, could easily have disputed her claim and refused to acknowledge her. But, I think, it is indicative of the values instilled in these people by the late senator that everyone involved has done the right thing. In my mind, that elevates him."

Walters views this matter as bigger than all of the people involved. He sees it having socially redeeming qualities that, if properly handled, could benefit society as a whole.

"This is also about the new South," Walters said. "We could learn a lot about race relations, character and how we can move forward. This event could be the impetus for all of that. I don't view this as a case, but an event," he said; "a colossal event in the new South.

"Almost everyone was looking for some spin on this matter," Walters said. "But some things rise to the level of moral consciousness. This does. All the lawyers can go home. This has a happy ending. This is a great day for Essie Williams, the Thurmond family and for South Carolina. Everybody wins."

T&D Staff Writer Thomas Brown can be reached by e-mail at tbrown@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5532.