(Columbia) June 26, 2003 - Governor Mark Sanford Thursday night issued the following statement on the passing of former South Carolina Governor and US Senator Strom Thurmond:

Official Whitehouse Statement:

"The president expresses his condolences for the passing of Senator Thurmond. Strom served the people from South Carolina with distinction for decades. He earned the respect of Democrats and Republicans alike, and he will be missed."

"In South Carolina there are leaders and then there was Strom, there are public servants and then there was Sen Thurmond," said Gov Sanford. "The pages of history this statesman hero has written far exceed the pages that most of us live. Before becoming a Governor he was a teacher, before becoming a Senator he was a coach and before becoming a legend in the political arena he was a hero in war. His enduring legacy as one of the foremost figures of our time will forever set him apart - not only in the annals of this state but in the annals of our nation as well. The sheer volume and weight of Strom Thurmond's accomplishments will stand far beyond his decades of service as a living memorial, as will the remarkable quality he demonstrated time and time again that is so indispensable to the future of our state and our country - the capacity to change."

"Sen Strom Thurmond was a Colossus in life, a man whose impact on this state and this country will continue to be seen and felt far beyond the decades of service he gave us. In every corner of this state and spread throughout this nation, the number of lives he touched simply cannot be measured. I would ask all South Carolinians to join Jenny, our boys and I in offering our prayers, sympathies and support to the Thurmond family."

Posted 11:20pm by Eva Pilgrim