Rembert Dennis

Rembert C. Dennis
Dennis portrait displayed in the South Carolina Senate Chambers
Member of the South Carolina Senate
from the 37th district
In office
1985–1989
Preceded byDistrict created
Succeeded byRobert L. Helmly
Member of the South Carolina Senate
from the 14th district
In office
1967–1985
Preceded byDistrict created
Succeeded byHarvey S. Peeler Jr.
Member of the South Carolina Senate
from the Berkeley County district
In office
1943–1967
Preceded byMarvin Meynardie Murray
Succeeded byDistrict abolished
Member of the South Carolina House of Representatives
from the Berkeley County district
In office
1939–1943
Serving with Marion Fenton Winter
Preceded byEdward Wilson Stevens
Succeeded byMark Elton Mitchum
Personal details
Born(1915-08-27)August 27, 1915
Pinopolis, South Carolina
DiedJune 20, 1992(1992-06-20) (aged 76)
Moncks Corner, South Carolina
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseNatalie Brown Dennis
ChildrenRembert, Jr.; Natalie Dorn; E.J.; Mary Mathryn; Luke; and Beatrice
OccupationLawyer

Rembert Coney Dennis[1] (August 27, 1915 – June 20, 1992) was an American politician in the state of South Carolina. He served in the South Carolina Senate 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.[2][3] His family home was Lewisfield Plantation.

Born in Pinopolis, South Carolina, Dennis was the son of Senator Edward James Dennis and Ella Mae (Coney) Dennis. He graduated from Furman University 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.[4] 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.[5]

In 1942, Dennis became a State Senator, a position he would serve in until his retirement in 1988.[4] 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 of the Senate from 1984 to 1988 after the death of Marion Gressette.[4][5]

Dennis holds honorary degrees from the Medical University of South Carolina (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 (Doctor of Law in 1989).[4]

  1. ^ "University Libraries - University Libraries | University of South Carolina".
  2. ^ Edgar, Walter B. (2006). The South Carolina Encyclopedia. ISBN 9781570035982. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
  3. ^ General Assembly, South Carolina (1946). "Legislative Manual". Retrieved 12 January 2015.
  4. ^ a b c d Brasier, Tobias. "LibGuides: Memory Hold The Door, Volume IV: 1988–1997: Rembert Coney Dennis (1915–1992)". guides.law.sc.edu. Retrieved 2020-04-07.
  5. ^ a b "Collection: Rembert Coney Dennis Papers | ArchivesSpace Public Interface". archives.library.sc.edu. Retrieved 2020-04-07.