Mace of the House of Representatives

Late 1940s Photograph of Ransome Williams (left) and George Bell Timmerman, Jr. (right) standing in the House Chamber in front of the House of Representatives Mace. Williams had been Lieutenant Governor from 1943 to 1945, when he succeeded Olin D. Johnson to the governorship upon Johnson’s election to the US Senate. The position of Lieutenant Governor remained empty until 1947, when Timmerman was elected as Lt. Governor to Strom Thurmond, who severed as Governor from 1947-1951. The photograph appears to be from a hand-off ceremony, when Ransome, as previous Lt. Governor, gives over symbolic control of the House to incoming Lt. Governor Timmerman.

Josephine McNair holds the Bible while her husband Robert E. McNair takes the oath of office before Chief Justice Claude A. Taylor. McNair, who held the office of Lieutenant Governor under Gov. Donald Russell, rose to the office of Governor upon Russell’s resignation. McNair then appointed Russell to fill the United States Senate seat held by Olin D. Johnston, who recently died in office. The mace of the House of Representatives and the sword of the Senate are both hanging from the podium.

John Henry Mills, Sergeant-at-Arms of the South Carolina House of Representatives, with mace. The mace is carried into the House Chamber and placed at the rostrum whenever the House is in session.