Nick Andrew Theodore (born September 16, 1928) is a former American politician from South Carolina. He was the first Greek-American elected to the South Carolina State Legislature. He served as a state representative from 1963 to 1966 and 1970 to 1978, a

South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

state senator from 1967 to 1968 and from 1981 to 1986, and the 85th

lieutenant governor of South Carolina The lieutenant governor of South Carolina is the second-in-command to the governor of South Carolina. Beyond overseeing the Office on Aging and the responsibility to act or serve as governor in the event of the office's vacancy, the duties of th ...

from 1987 to 1995. He is a member of the

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

Biography

Theodore was born in Greenville, South Carolina, to Andrew and Lula Theodore, Greek immigrants, the youngest of five children. Growing up he was involved with the St. George

Greek Orthodox The term Greek Orthodox Church (Greek language, Greek: Ἑλληνορθόδοξη Ἐκκλησία, ''Ellinorthódoxi Ekklisía'', ) has two meanings. The broader meaning designates "the Eastern Orthodox Church, entire body of Orthodox (Chalced ...

Cathedral community in Greenville, and the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (AHEPA). Theodore attended the

University of Georgia , mottoeng = "To teach, to serve, and to inquire into the nature of things.""To serve" was later added to the motto without changing the seal; the Latin motto directly translates as "To teach and to inquire into the nature of things." , establ ...

and graduated in 1952 from

Furman University Furman University is a private liberal arts university in Greenville, South Carolina. Founded in 1826 and named for the clergyman Richard Furman, Furman University is the oldest private institution of higher learning in South Carolina. It became ...

with a Bachelors in Business. He spent a total of 24 years serving in the

South Carolina state legislature The South Carolina General Assembly, also called the South Carolina Legislature, is the state legislature of the U.S. state of South Carolina. The legislature is bicameral and consists of the lower South Carolina House of Representatives and t ...

before being elected in 1986 to the office of lieutenant governor having beaten Republican Congressman

Thomas F. Hartnett Thomas Forbes "Tommy" Hartnett (born August 7, 1941) is a former U.S. Representative from South Carolina. Life and career Hartnett was born in Charleston. He graduated from Bishop England High School in Charleston in 1960. He attended the Col ...

to the position. He served two full terms in that post under

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

Carroll Campbell Carroll Ashmore Campbell Jr. (July 24, 1940December 7, 2005), was an American Republican Party politician who served as the List of governors of South Carolina, 112th governor of South Carolina from 1987 to 1995. Prior to this, he served as ...

. Ironically, it was fellow Greenville resident Campbell who, in 1978, had defeated Theodore in an election to the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

from

South Carolina's 4th congressional district The 4th congressional district of South Carolina is a congressional district in upstate South Carolina bordering North Carolina. It includes parts of Greenville and Spartanburg counties. The district includes the two major cities of Green ...

, one of famed political strategist

Lee Atwater Harvey LeRoy "Lee" Atwater (February 27, 1951 – March 29, 1991) was an American political consultant and strategist for the Republican Party. He was an adviser to US presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush and chairman of the Republ ...

's first major triumphs. Despite this history, and the differences in their political philosophies and party affiliations, Campbell and Theodore worked together quite effectively during their two terms in office, and remained friendly with each other. On April 13, 1993, Theodore witnessed the car accident that killed Nancy Thurmond, the daughter of longtime South Carolina Senator

Strom Thurmond James Strom Thurmond Sr. (December 5, 1902June 26, 2003) was an American politician who represented South Carolina in the United States Senate from 1954 to 2003. Prior to his 48 years as a senator, he served as the 103rd governor of South Caro ...

, from less than twenty feet away. Theodore had attended Nancy's 22nd birthday party only two weeks earlier. At the conclusion of Campbell's two terms in office, Theodore ran for governor in 1994, defeating

Charleston Charleston most commonly refers to: * Charleston, South Carolina * Charleston, West Virginia, the state capital * Charleston (dance) Charleston may also refer to: Places Australia * Charleston, South Australia Canada * Charleston, Newfoundlan ...

mayor

Joseph P. Riley Jr. Joseph Patrick Riley Jr. (born January 19, 1943) is an American politician who was the Mayor of Charleston, South Carolina. He was one of the longest serving mayors in the United States that is still living, having served 10 terms starting on Dec ...

to secure the Democratic nomination. Theodore lost to Campbell's protégé

David Beasley David Muldrow Beasley (born February 26, 1957) is an American politician and the Executive Director of the United Nations World Food Programme. A member of the Republican Party, he served one term as the 113th Governor of South Carolina from 199 ...

, however, in the general election. Four years later in 1998 he tried to regain his former post as lieutenant governor but lost in the general election to incumbent Bob Peeler (R). In 2002, Theodore came out of a quasi-retirement to accept an interim appointment to the

South Carolina Public Service Commission The South Carolina Public Service Commission (PSC) is a regulatory agency that regulates public utilities in the state of South Carolina, including electric power, telecommunications, natural gas, and water & wastewater. In addition, the PSC re ...

, ending in 2004. In 2006, his son, Drew Theodore, became the Democratic nominee for the statewide office of

Comptroller General A comptroller (pronounced either the same as ''controller'' or as ) is a management-level position responsible for supervising the quality of accounting and financial reporting of an organization. A financial comptroller is a senior-level executi ...

Bibliography

* ''Trials and Triumphs: South Carolina's Evolution, 1962-2014: Political Memoirs and Personal Memories of Nick Theodore'' (Faith Printing Company, Taylors, SC: 2014).

External links

Nick A. Theodore Papers
at South Carolina Political Collections at the University of South Carolina

References

, - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Theodore, Nick 1928 births American politicians of Greek descent Furman University alumni Lieutenant Governors of South Carolina Living people Democratic Party members of the South Carolina House of Representatives Politicians from Greenville, South Carolina Democratic Party South Carolina state senators