Patterson and at least two others will deliver eulogies Tuesday at Thurmond’s funeral. William “Billy” Wilkins, a chief federal appeals court judge from Greenville, and U.S. Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del., also will speak at Columbia’s First Baptist Church.

Patterson is a black Democrat from Richland County. Thurmond ran for president in 1948 as a segregationist, and the U.S. Senate counted him as one of its most conservative Republicans.

Why would Patterson agree to eulogize the man?

“Strom’s experience is ‘on the road to Damascus,’þ” Patterson said. “I have supported him since he left his segregationist ways and became a real American citizen and tried to be the senator for all the people of the state.”

As for Thurmond’s 1948 vow never to be forced to “admit the Negro race into our theaters, into our swimming pools, into our homes, and into our churches”?

“To hell with that,” Patterson said. “That was before Damascus.”

Thurmond died Thursday at 100 after weeks of failing health. He retired in January after 48 years in the U.S. Senate, where he set records as the oldest and longest-serving senator ever.

Biden had an affection for Thurmond, having served with him for more than 20 years on the Senate Judiciary Committee. He could not be reached for comment Saturday.

Wilkins, chief judge of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and a former Thurmond aide and statewide campaign manager, is preparing a short eulogy this weekend.

For years, he has known he would. Thurmond asked him to.

“He said it off-handedly,” Wilkins said, recalling a visit to his legendary mentor’s Washington office.

But the judge knew Thurmond was serious. After Thurmond died Thursday, Wilkins wasn’t surprised to get the family’s request, asking for him to help celebrate Thurmond’s life.

“He planned every detail of his funeral,” Wilkins said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he left written instructions.”

State Sen. John Courson, R-Richland, is helping to organize the funeral. He expects much of official Washington to descend on Columbia to pay their last respects to Thurmond.

Vice President Dick Cheney will represent President Bush.

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld will take a break from managing the nation’s military to bid farewell to the World War II hero.

U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, who served alongside Thurmond for 34 years, will fly across the nation to attend.

Though the pews at First Baptist will be filled with famous politicians, Thurmond’s funeral also will be broadcast to the public. WIS, WLTX and WOLO are planning to interrupt programming for it. S.C. ETV also will cover the funeral on Time Warner digital cable Channel 801.

Courson was tight-lipped about other aspects of the funeral. He would not say Saturday who else might speak or what hymns or readings would be featured.

He met Saturday with funeral directors and state law enforcement to discuss security and logistics at the State House, where Thurmond will lie in state beginning this afternoon.

The U.S. Secret Service is in charge of security at the church, where the vice president will be. Courson said he did not know whether Cheney and Rumsfeld would go to Edgefield for the burial after the funeral.

Today, Thurmond’s casket will be delivered to the Capitol from Edgefield by Shellhouse Funeral Home of Aiken. At the State House, a color guard from the S.C. Army and Air Force National Guard will escort it.

State House staff spent part of Saturday setting up crowd-control ropes on the first and second floors in advance of today’s public visitation.

From 4 to 8 p.m. today, the public can say goodbye to Thurmond as his casket lies in state. The casket will be closed during all visitation and the funeral, Courson said.

Thurmond’s family will be at the State House today to greet well-wishers. It wasn’t known Thursday which members of the family will be there, although Courson said he thought the entire family planned on being there.

“It all depends on how they feel,” Courson said.

It’s important to the family that they be there, he said.

“It goes back to the legacy of Strom Thurmond,” Courson said. “The seat he occupied belonged to the people. He was a man of the people.”

A large crowd is expected, but Courson urged people not to be deterred.

“If you want to say goodbye to Strom Thurmond and pay respects to his family,” he said, “please plan on coming to your State House.”

Those wanting to pay last respects also can visit the casket from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday and 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Tuesday.

Before Tuesday’s funeral, Thurmond’s casket will be loaded onto a horse-drawn caisson for the six-block trip to First Baptist Church on Hampton Street.

After the funeral, a Shellhouse hearse will carry Thurmond to Edgefield’s courthouse, to the longtime senator’s statue. Once there, the casket will be placed on a second caisson and delivered to Willowbrook Cemetery, said Robert Shellhouse, funeral home owner.

Reach Markoe at (202) 383-6023 or lmarkoe@krwashington.com.

Reach Gould Sheinin at (803) 771-8658 or asheinin@thestate.com.

Staff writer Lee Bandy

contributed to this report.