| Terry Haskins |
Article Index for Terry |
Website Links For Terry |
Information About ™Terry Haskins |
|
Terry Haskins was born in Pontiac, Michigan , the second of four children born to Charles “Ed” and Dorothy Haskins, who were Evangelical Christians . As a high school student, Haskins developed his musical and dramatic talents and was elected president of his class.Dean Haskins, Eulogy (2002), TerryHaskins.com In 1972, he entered Fundamentalist Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina and received a BA in speech in 1976 and an MA in public speaking in 1978. His graduate speech recital described his plan to become President of the United States. While still a graduate student at BJU, Haskins became chairman of the Greenville Young Republicans .Ehrenhalt, 97-98, 102. Haskins graduated from the University Of South Carolina Law School in 1981 and returned to Greenville to begin practice. In 1983, he became the youngest member ever elected to the Greenville City Council. In 1984, he was elected as a conservative Republican to the state legislature from the district that contained Bob Jones University and held that seat until his death. In 1990, Haskins lost a race for the U.S. House of Representatives to Democrat Liz Patterson .''Who Was Who'', 14th ed. Although he continued to take conservative positions on such topics as Sex Education in the schools, Haskins quickly developed bipartisan relationships in the state legislature, supporting Affirmative Action , the election of black judges, and the admission of women to The Citadel . His support for extending scholarships for South Carolina residents to the then-unaccredited BJU was accepted by the legislative black caucus because unaccredited black schools were also included in the final bill.''The'' SC ''State'', February 19, 1998, B3; March 6, 1991, 1A. In 1995, Haskins was elected speaker pro-tempore of the House. By 1999, he was influential in settling the two most divisive political issues of the period. Haskins proposed a compromise by which the legislature was able to remove the in South Carolina, an issue that had previously led to the defeat of Republican governor David Beasley in 1998.''The'' SC ''State'', February 7, 1999, A10; July 1, 1999, A1; August 1, 1999, A9; September 4, 1999, B1; SC House Resolution . Carl Langley, writing in the ''Edgefield Daily'', declared, "Let us bow this morning to the ingenuity of Rep. Terry Haskins and the wisdom of our Supreme Court which stood up for the people while many elected to represent us took to cover in the tall grass. It was Haskins who wrote the amendment to poker legislation that called for its banishment if the court ruled against a referendum on the games. The Supreme Court, in unanimity I add, did just as Haskins expected. The court told the cowards in our legislature to enact our laws and not hand untidy things over to the people. There are few Medal of Honor winners in the General Assembly, but Haskins is a brave and fearless warrior who served the people well." ''Edgefield Daily'' In October 1999, Haskins became co-chairman of the South Carolina campaign organization of Arizona Senator John McCain . After the national furor over the campaign visit of George W. Bush to Bob Jones University in February 2000, Haskins withdrew from the campaign because of what he called McCain’s “religious baiting.”''The'' SC ''State'', February 29, 2000, A6. Haskins and McCain remained personal friends. McCain statement on Haskins' death ; McCain also attended Haskins' funeral at Bob Jones University. The day that Haskins was elected speaker pro-tem in 1995, he discovered a lump under his right arm, which was quickly diagnosed as a Melanoma . By July 2000, the cancer had spread to his brain, and he lost his hearing and most of the use of his left arm. At his death in October, he was nearly paralyzed.''Greenville News'', October 25, 2000, 3A. In January 2005, a Greenville bridge was named in his honor.Bryan Haskins, Speech at bridge dedication, January 10, 2005, TerryHaskins.com Haskins was survived by Gloria Arias Haskins, a native of Colombia , and their four sons.Their sons are David, Bryan, Hayden, and Harlan Haskins. Gloria Haskins successfully ran for her late husband’s seat in the state legislature, becoming one of the first Latina members of the South Carolina state legislature.Gloria Haskins biography, SC State Legislature . REFERENCES
|
|
|