Duke Short, Strom Thurmond’s chief of staff, dies at 89

Robert “Duke” Short, chief of staff to the late longtime U.S. Sen. Strom Thurmond, has died.

He was 89.

In a post to X, formerly known as Twitter, Gov. Henry McMaster on Friday said Short “made an indelible impression on the lives of leaders and citizens all across his beloved South Carolina and his country.”

A Georgia native and U.S. Army veteran, Short was appointed Thurmond’s chief of staff in 1988 and served until Thurmond’s retirement in 2003.

Short authored a book about his time in Thurmond’s office, titled, “The Centennial Senator: True Stories of Strom Thurmond from the People Who Knew Him Best.”

“From presidents, senators, and Supreme Court justices to Thurmond’s legislative assistants and personal driver, the senator’s inner circle speaks candidly about these unforgettable interactions with the man behind the lore,” the book’s online bio states. “Through their memories Thurmond emerges as a multifaceted individual — politician, boss, ladies’ man, family man, fitness advocate, backseat driver, soldier, dancer, and friend — who, across his many roles and long life, held public service to his state and nation as the highest calling.”

In an S.C. Senate resolution passed this year honoring Short, it said Short married the former Denise “Dee” Powers on May 23, 1992. The two celebrated their 31st wedding anniversary in May, according to the resolution sponsored by state Sen. Harvey Peeler, R-Cherokee.

In a post to X, U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman, R-Rock Hill, called Short a “humble servant of our great state & nation, and a beloved friend to so many.”

“Rest in peace, Duke,” Norman added.