A senate RESOLUTION

 

TO CONGRATULATE ROBERT J. "DUKE" SHORT, FORMER CHIEF OF STAFF TO THE HONORALBE J. STROM THURMOND, ON THE OCCASION OF HIS EIGHTY-NINTH BIRTHDAY AND TO WISH HIM MUCH HAPPINESS IN THE years AHEAD.

 

Whereas, the members of the South Carolina Senate are pleased to learn that Mr. Robert J. "Duke" Short will celebrate his eighty-ninth birthday on March 31, 2023; and

 

Whereas, Mr. Short was born in Moultrie, Georgia on March 31, 1934; and

 

Whereas, Mr. Short graduated from North Georgia College in 1956 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. He was the president of Sigma Theta and a member of Scabbard and Blade; and

 

Whereas, a veteran of the United States Army, Mr. Short served with bravery and distinction as a Second Lieutenant. He served in the 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment of the 82nd Airborne Division, the same unit Senator Strom Thurmond served with during World War II; and

 

Whereas, following his service in the United States Army, Mr. Short continued his service to our nation as a Special Agent with the United States Department of Treasury's Intelligence Division for two years; and

 

Whereas, Mr. Short continued his educational pursuits, receiving a Doctor of Chiropractic from Palmer College in 1965; and

 

Whereas, upon graduation, Mr. Short returned to the United States Department of Treasury as a Special Agent working as a member of the Organized Crime Strike Force and serving as one of the first "Sky Marshals"; and

 

Whereas, Mr. Short began working as the National Chief of Investigations for the Federal Protective Services in the early 1970s. He then began his distinguished career with the United States Senate in 1974 as a Senior Investigator for the United States Senate Subcommittee on Internal Security, eventually becoming Staff Director and Chief Investigator for the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary; and

 

Whereas, in 1988, Senator Strom Thurmond appointed Mr. Short as his Chief of Staff. Mr. Short served in this crucial role until Senator Thurmond retired in 2003. Mr. Short's commitment, diligence, selfless service, and loyalty to Senator Thurmond and to the entire staff during his tenure was unwavering and renowned; and

 

Whereas, in 2006, Mr. Short authored The Centennial Senator: True Stories of Strom Thurmond from the People Who Knew Him Best, compiling personal stories of friends, staffers, colleagues, and constituents of Senator Thurmond; and

 

Whereas, throughout Mr. Short's distinguished career in public service, he received many honors and awards. These awards included the Order of the Palmetto, South Carolina's highest honor, bestowed by Governor James Hodges, Roll Call's Fifty Most Powerful Staffers in Congress award, the United Service Organization's appreciation award, a Palmer Academy of Chiropractic fellowship, and the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve appreciation award. He has received many titles of distinction, including Counselor to the Chief Judge of the United States Court of Military Appeals, Honorary Federal Judge of the United States Claims Court, and Honorary Major General in the Interallied Confederation of Reserve Officers; and

 

Whereas, Mr. Short married the former Denise "Dee" Powers on May 23, 1992. They will celebrate their thirty-first wedding anniversary this May; and

 

Whereas, Mr. Short continues to set an example of faithful service to his State and nation. Now, therefore,

 

Be it resolved by the Senate:

 

That the members of the South Carolina Senate, by this resolution, congratulate Robert J. "Duke" Short on the occasion of his eighty-ninth birthday and wish him a joyous birthday celebration and much happiness in the years ahead.

 

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be presented to Robert J. "Duke" Short.

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