Rembert Coney Dennis (August 27, 1915 – June 20, 1992) was an American politician in the state of

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 = ...

. He served in the

South Carolina Senate The South Carolina Senate is the upper house of the South Carolina General Assembly, the lower house being the South Carolina House of Representatives. It consists of 46 senators elected from single member districts for four-year terms at the sa ...

as a member of the Democratic Party from 1943 to 1988 and the South Carolina House of Representatives from 1939 to 1942, representing Berkeley County, South Carolina. His family home was

Lewisfield Plantation Lewisfield Plantation is a historic plantation house located near Moncks Corner, Berkeley County, South Carolina. It was built about 1774, and is a 2 1/2-half story clapboard dwelling. It is supported by a high brick foundation that encloses a ra ...

. Born in

Pinopolis, South Carolina Pinopolis is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Berkeley County, South Carolina, United States. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 948. Demographics History Founded circa 1845, the community was established a ...

, Dennis was the son of Senator Edward James Dennis and Ella Mae (Coney) Dennis. He graduated 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 his Bachelor's in 1935. While he attended Georgetown University Law School in 1936 and 1937, he did not receive a degree there. Instead, he received his law degree from the University of South Carolina in 1940 when he was also admitted to the Bar. Dennis practiced law in Moncks Corner outside of Lake Moultrie in South Carolina from 1940 until his death in 1992. In 1938, Dennis was elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives for Berkeley County. He was the third generation of the Dennis family to represent Berkeley County after his father Edward James Dennis Sr., and his grandfather Edward James Dennis, Sr. In 1942, Dennis became a State Senator, a position he would serve in until his retirement in 1988. He served on a number of committees including as Chairman of the Senate Fish, Game, and Forestry Committee from 1967 to 1975 and as the Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee from 1972 to 1988. He also served as the

President Pro Tempore A president pro tempore or speaker pro tempore is a constitutionally recognized officer of a legislative body who presides over the chamber in the absence of the normal presiding officer. The phrase ''pro tempore'' is Latin "for the time being". ...

of the Senate from 1984 to 1988 after the death of Marion Gressette. Dennis holds honorary degrees from the

Medical University of South Carolina The Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) is a public medical school in South Carolina. It opened in 1824 in Charleston as a small private college aimed at training physicians and has since established hospitals and medical facilities acr ...

( Doctor of Humane Letters in 1973), the University of South Carolina ( Doctor of Law in 1973), Clemson University (Doctor of Law in 1981), The Citadel (Doctor of Law in 1981), and

Charleston Southern University Charleston Southern University (CSU) is a private Baptist university in North Charleston, South Carolina. It is affiliated with the South Carolina Baptist Convention ( Southern Baptist Convention). History Charleston Southern University was ch ...

(Doctor of Law in 1989).

References

External links

Rembert Coney Dennis Papers
at the University of South Carolina's South Carolina Political Collections , - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Dennis, Rembert 1915 births 1992 deaths Democratic Party members of the South Carolina House of Representatives Democratic Party South Carolina state senators People from Berkeley County, South Carolina South Carolina lawyers 20th-century American legislators 20th-century American lawyers