Senate seats. He really didn’t want to take time away from his dental practice. I remember asking him, “Does my wife get to buy gasoline, groceries, food and clothing cheaper than your wife? Can I afford to run any more than you can?” I suppose that was enough to get him to commit to the race. After a grueling campaign, Jim and
I were elected and went to Columbia the following January as two of only three Republican members of the Senate. On our first day, Jim, Sen. Gilbert McMillian and I were asked to leave the chamber so the Democrats could make committee appointments and elect committee chairs. When we were allowed back into the chamber, we were informed that we had been appointed to unimportant committees and that we had been assigned seats on the back row of the Senate chamber. Tus began Jim’s experience in partisan politics. Jim quickly garnered the respect of
the Senate leadership with his gentle manner, warm personality and genuine interest in the affairs of the state. Legislators sought his input on issues such as health care and the state’s two medical schools. I remember how long it would take us to go to lunch. When the Senate broke for the midday meal, Jim would stop to talk with anyone who wanted to speak with him as we left the chamber. He was in no rush to end the conversations. He was a great listener, and his compassion and sincerity were obvious. His passion for people extended well beyond the Senate
chamber. We would ride together to Columbia each week, and often we would stop for coffee or a sausage biscuit at a roadside restaurant. Te waitresses, charmed by his warm
Jim Edwards with Prince Charles.
personality, were always happy to see him. Once on our way to Columbia, we spotted a car on its side in a ditch along Interstate 26. Jim quickly ran to the overturned vehicle and administered first aid to the driver until help arrived. When we got to the Senate chamber, Jim sat through the session in muddy shoes and disheveled clothes, as if nothing had happened. On another occasion, a visitor to the Senate gallery experienced a seizure. Jim
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Brenda Barfield - He pulled some teeth for me when I was 5. Matt Boren - Dr. Edwards was a kind, loving soul. I had the pleasure of speaking with him again at the 2006 J.B. Edwards School dedication, and he is without a doubt one of the finest, most honorable beings to have served his community. May he RIP. ... Love always.
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