Former U.S. Rep. Thomas F. Hartnett, center, with a pair of U.S. presidents: Ronald Reagan, left, and George H.W. Bush.


university president. Tough he served admirably in all of these jobs, he never pursued any of them. Jim’s life was not based on politics but on family,


church, dentistry, hunting, fishing and community service. But with the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson’s presidency, the country began a slow but steady turn to the left. Jim saw the Republican Party as an alternative; he was elected as a delegate to the 1964 National Republican Convention. Our party nominated Barry Goldwater to challenge President Johnson, unsuccessfully, in the general election. Undaunt- ed, Jim worked on the local level to preserve the principles of smaller government, fiscal responsibility, a strong national defense and constitutional government. As chairman of the Charleston County Republican Party, he seized every opportunity to tell the Republican story throughout the county and across South Carolina.


When U.S. Rep. Mendel Rivers died in December 1970, a special election was held to replace him in the 1st Congressional District. In his first political race, Jim won the Republican nomination but lost in the general election to Democrat Mendel Davis. He had hoped to carry his conservative message to Washington, but, undeterred, he continued his participation in local and state politics. With the 1972 elections approaching and all five state


Senate seats in Charleston and Georgetown counties held by Democrats, a group of local Republicans, including Jim, asked me to run for the Senate. As a member of the state House of Representatives, I had recently abandoned the Democratic Party because of the extreme liberal platform of its nominee for president. Sen. George Mc- Govern of South Dakota. After several meetings, I agreed to throw my hat into the ring, but only if Jim would also run for one of the


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Pat Allen - He was a wonderful person, always so humble and kind. Joseph Thompson - Jim was a great man, and I will truly miss his friendship. David Surrett - We would frequently see the Edwards’ around Mount Pleasant. He was always cordial and gracious. Once when I called him Governor, he corrected me and said, “I am just Jim.”


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