Fritz Hollings to Speaks at College of Charleston

Ernest “Fritz” Hollings, one of the nation’s most significant public servants of the last 40 years, was award winner and featured speaker in the College of Charleston’s Distinguished Communicators Series on March 23, 2005. The award presentation and lecture began at 7:00 p.m. in Room 309 of the Simons Center for the Arts.

Sen. Hollings recently concluded a 38-year run as a U.S. senator when he did not seek reelection in 2004. He was Ranking Member of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, championing issues ranging from telecommunications to coastal preservation to trade policy. He was principal author of the landmark 1996 Telecommunications Act, and later, led the congressional effort to improve America’s transportation security, authoring legislation for aviation, port and railroad systems. Before retiring, Hollings was the longest serving member of the Senate Budget Committee, and also was on the Appropriations Committee.

“The Department of Communication is pleased to recognize the remarkable communication talents of Sen. Hollings with this award,” said Brian McGee, chair of the Department of Communication. “Sen. Hollings has a well-deserved reputation as an independent and articulate advocate for South Carolina and the nation. From Charles Pinckney to the present day, Sen. Hollings’s legacy of service rightly places him among the greatest senators and governors in South Carolina history. Whether in protecting our oceans and coastlines, in bipartisan efforts to balance the budget, or in enhancing port and airline security, Sen. Hollings has spoken the truth as he knows it without apology. His dedication to the principles of public communication and deliberation make him the clear choice for this year's award.”

Sen. Hollings, a 1942 graduate of The Citadel and 1947 graduate of the USC School of Law, began his career in public service in the South Carolina House of Representatives. In 1955, he became the state’s lieutenant governor, and in 1958, at age 36, was the youngest man in the 20th century to be elected governor of South Carolina.

He and wife, Rita (“Peatsy”), have championed a number of causes over the years, including the MUSC Hollings Cancer Center in Charleston. In 2003, the College of Charleston formally made the College’s Science Center the Rita Liddy Hollings Science Center in honor of the 1957 C of C graduate and former high school teacher.

The Distinguished Communicators Series debuted in 2003 with a lecture by longtime NBC White House correspondent John Palmer. Last year, Nickelodeon Chief of Staff Marva Smalls was the featured speaker and award winner. The series is just one of the outreach programs sponsored by the College of Charleston’s Department of Communication, which houses over 20 faculty and 700 majors in three undergraduate degree concentrations: Corporate and Organizational Communication, Media Studies, and Communication Studies.