Fritz Hollings

Fritz Hollings
United States Senator
from South Carolina
In office
November 9, 1966 – January 3, 2005
Preceded byDonald Russell
Succeeded byJim DeMint
106th Governor of South Carolina
In office
January 20, 1959 – January 15, 1963
LieutenantBurnet R. Maybank Jr.
Preceded byGeorge Timmerman
Succeeded byDonald Russell
77th Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina
In office
January 18, 1955 – January 20, 1959
GovernorGeorge Timmerman
Preceded byGeorge Timmerman
Succeeded byBurnet Maybank
Member of the
South Carolina House of Representatives
from Charleston County
In office
1949–1954
Personal details
Born
Ernest Frederick Hollings

(1922-01-01)January 1, 1922
Charleston, South Carolina, U.S.
DiedApril 6, 2019(2019-04-06) (aged 97)
Isle of Palms, South Carolina, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouses
  • Martha Salley
    (m. 1946; div. 1971)
  • Rita Liddy
    (m. 1971; died 2012)
Children4
Education
AwardsBronze Star
European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal
Signature
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch/service United States Army
Years of service1942–1945
RankCaptain[1]
Battles/warsWorld War II

Ernest Frederick "Fritz" Hollings (January 1, 1922 – April 6, 2019) was an American politician who served as a United States senator from South Carolina from 1966 to 2005. A conservative Democrat, he was also the 106th governor of South Carolina, the 77th lieutenant governor of South Carolina, and a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives. He served alongside Democrat-turned-Republican Senator Strom Thurmond for 36 years, making them the longest-serving duo in U.S. Senate history. At the time of his death, he was the oldest living former U.S. senator and the second-oldest living American governor. As of 2024, he is the last Democrat to hold or win a U.S. Senate seat in South Carolina.

Born in Charleston, South Carolina, Hollings graduated from The Citadel in 1942 and joined a law practice in Charleston after attending the University of South Carolina School of Law. During World War II, he served as an artillery officer in campaigns in North Africa and Europe. After the war, Hollings successively won election to the South Carolina House of Representatives, as lieutenant governor, and as governor. He sought election to the Senate in 1962 but was defeated by incumbent Olin D. Johnston.

Johnston died in 1965, and the following year Hollings won a special election to serve the remainder of Johnston's term. Hollings remained popular and continually won re-election, becoming one of the longest-serving senators in U.S. history. Hollings sought the Democratic nomination in the 1984 presidential election but dropped out of the race after the New Hampshire primary. He declined to seek re-election in 2004 and was succeeded by Republican Jim DeMint.

  1. ^ McFadden, Robert D. (April 6, 2019). "Ernest Hollings, 97, a South Carolina Senator Who Evolved, is Dead". The New York Times.