Senator John W. Drummond

Born and raised in Ninety Six, South Carolina, John W. Drummond was elected to the state House of Representatives in 1965. Two years later, in 1967 he was elected to the first of nine consecutive terms as, in the words of his peers, the "Senator of South Carolina." In the classic statesman tradition, though, Senator Drummond is not only a respected businessman and revered public servant, but a highly decorated war hero as well. As a pilot with the 405th Fighter Bomber Group in World War II Europe, he was shot down over France, spending ten months as a prisoner of war. By war's end, the future senator had been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, two Purple Hearts, nine Air Medals, three Battle Stars and a Presidential Citation. His service to South Carolina spans nearly 40 years and is attested to by an extraordinary list of "Legislator of the Year" honors, community service awards and honorary degrees. Above all else and through all his years of selfless service to community and country, Senator Drummond has stood tall as the epitome of the "Southern Gentleman and Statesman."