L. Mendel Rivers
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Lucius Mendel Rivers (28 September 1905 – 28 December 1970), was a United States Representative from South Carolina for nearly thirty years.
Born in Gumville, South Carolina, Rivers attended the public schools and the College of Charleston in Charleston, South Carolina. At the University of South Carolina at Columbia he studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1932, and commenced practice in Charleston.
Elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives in 1933, Rivers served until 1936. He was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention from South Carolina in 1936.
In 1941 Rivers was elected as a Democrat to the United States House of Representatives from the Charleston-based 1st District, and was re-elected 15 more times. He was chairman of the House Committee on Armed Services his last three terms. Rivers is one of numerous public officials known to have drinking problems during the time. [1]
He is perhaps best known for declaring that Hugh Thompson was the only person who deserved to be punished for the massacre at My Lai.
Rivers died in Birmingham, Alabama, almost two months after being elected for his 16th term. He was buried at St. Stephen Episcopal Church Cemetery in St. Stephen, South Carolina.
Rivers was an Episcopalian, and a member of the Freemasons, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks (BPOE), and the Exchange Club. The USS L. Mendel Rivers (SSN-686) was named in his honor. Charleston Southern University's library, the L. Mendel Rivers Library, is also named in his honor.[2]
