South Carolina ETV
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ETV's "The Big Picture" Spotlights Governor Jim Edwards
For Immediate Release
June 8, 2009
Columbia, SC...In a surprising Election Day twist in 1975, Palmetto State voters chose the long-shot candidate, Jim Edwards, as its 110th governor. Maybe Edwards’ win wasn’t as sensational as the Truman/Dewey shocker of 1948, but for the unassuming politician, his unexpected victory was equally dramatic.
On Thursday, June 25 at 7:30 p.m., ETV profiles Dr. James Burrows Edwards, South Carolina’s first Republican governor since the Reconstruction Era.
This special edition of The Big Picture entitled “The Surprise Governor” takes an illuminating look at Edwards’ legacy which included the introduction of a reserve fund that supported the Education Finance Act. This legislation, a forerunner of Governor Dick Riley’s Education Improvement Act, was a measure that redistributed state education funds to benefit poor school districts in South Carolina.
The half-hour program also chronicles the political career of the Lowcountry oral surgeon. From his brief stint as a South Carolina Senator from Charleston County (1972-1975) to his appointment by former President Ronald Reagan in 1981 as the third United States Secretary of Energy to his 17 years at the helm of the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, the show reveals his tireless devotion to public service.
In one lighthearted moment, former First Lady Anne Edwards humorously tells the story of a personal turning point prior to her husband’s election. Having returned home from a particularly grueling day on the campaign trail, she recalls how she, uncharacteristically tearful, exclaimed to her husband, “I’m afraid you’re gonna win this crazy thing. And then what will we do?”
South Carolina ETV is the state's public educational broadcasting network with 11 television and eight radio transmitters, and a multi-media educational system in more than 2,500 schools, colleges, businesses and government agencies. Using television, radio and the web, SCETV's mission is to enrich lives by educating children, informing and connecting citizens, celebrating our culture and environment and instilling the joy of learning.
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For more information, contact Rob Schaller at (803) 737-6556 or rschaller@scetv.org.
Photos may be downloaded for the sole purpose of publicizing this program. To download an image, click on the picture below. A new Web page will open containing the hi-res version. Right click on the hi-res image, and select "Save As" or "Save Picture As."
Governor James Burrows Edwards on ETV's "The Big Picture." Photo credit: ETV/Allen Sharpe
Governor James Burrows Edwards. Photo credit: The South Carolina Legislative Manual
Photos may be downloaded for the sole purpose of publicizing this program. To download an image, click on the picture below. A new Web page will open containing the hi-res version. Right click on the hi-res image, and select "Save As" or "Save Picture As."
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