Former Vice President Joe Biden delivered the eulogy of former South Carolina Senator Ernest “Fritz” Hollings at his funeral services Tuesday at The Citadel in Charleston, remembering Hollings as always knowing how to “get things done’ and “bringing
hope to many.” Hollings died earlier this month at 97.
“He knew how to succeed in the U.S. senate, he knew how to build coalitions, he knew how to get along with Strom [Thurman] when he needed to,” Biden recalled of Hollings’ relationship with the South Carolinian and oldest person ever to serve as a senator, drawing chuckles from the crowd of mourners. “He knew how to change as well.”
The funeral caps off three days of mourning for the former governor and longtime senator, whose body lay in repose Monday at the North Carolina state Capitol.
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Biden has been tapped several times to provide moving speeches honoring his late friends in Congress. Earlier this year, Biden delivered a thoughtful and entertaining eulogy of former Michigan Rep. John Dingell. Last year, he honored his longtime friend former Sen. John McCain during his funeral services in Arizona.
Hollings’ long and colorful political career included an unsuccessful bid for the Democratic presidential nomination. When he retired from the Senate in 2005, Hollings had served 38 years and two months, making him the eighth longest-serving senator in U.S. history.
