Shorey’s Contributions to Recent History of SCGOP “Legendary”

Greg-Shorey-Karen-Floyd
Gregory D. “Greg” Shorey of Greenville was presented The Roger Milliken Lifetime Achievement Award by the South Carolina Republican Party during the 44th Annual Silver Elephant Banquet in Columbia, May 6th, 2011.

Shorey is only the second individual to receive the prestigious award and the first to receive the honor since the death of Mr. Milliken.

Five of the State GOP Chairmen who followed Shorey stood with him when he received the award from Chairman Karen Floyd. One of the chairmen who knew both Shorey and Milliken well, said it was Milliken’s desire that his longtime friend and worker in the political trenches, Greg Shorey, receive the honor this year.

The Late Roger Milliken (October 24, 1915 – December 30, 2010), for whom the award is named, led Milliken & Company for 71 years, during which it grew to become the world’s largest privately owned textile and chemical manufacturer with 50 manufacturing facilities in 7 countries. Milliken moved to Spartanburg, South Carolina, in 1953 and became an integral part of the rise of the Republican Party in the South. From 1956 to 1984, he served as a delegate from South Carolina to eight Republican National Conventions.

In a recent interview with The Times Examiner, Shorey recalled how his father in New England stimulated his young son’s interest in government and politics.

”Son, I want you to remember something, you can choose to leave government alone, but it will never leave you alone. It effects the water you drink, the roads you drive on, and the schools you attend. It effects every phase and facet of your life. It will be the biggest single expense you will ever have, even after you are dead. So if you don’t like what you see going on out there get involved.” He has been involved ever since.

Greg Shorey’s business and political career’s somewhat paralleled that of Milliken and they became close friends and political allies.

A decorated U. S. Navy veteran of World War II, Shorey attended the Boston University School of Law and earned an MS Degree in Marketing Communications from Boston University.

He has been one of the Upstate’s leading business executives, raised a family, served on the boards of numerous civic organizations and along with Roger Milliken, Robert F. Chapman and others was a pioneer in building the GOP to become a powerful political force in what was then the “solid Democrat South.”

Shorey was Founding President and Board Chairman of Style-Crafters, Inc. a national manufacturer of marine safety and water sports equipment in Greenville, South Carolina in 1950.  The company merged with Gladding Corp. in 1959 and Shorey became Marketing Vice President for Gladding’s 23 Divisions. He resigned to return to Greenville to become Apparel Div. President of Riegel Textile Corp.

In 1974 Shorey founded Shorey and Associates, Inc. The firm became the leading business to business/industrial marketing communications agency in the Southeast. Gregg Shorey III has owned the company since his father’s retirement in 1990.

Greg Shorey was the first Chairman of the Greenville County Republican Party (1952-54) and second Chairman of the South Carolina Republican Party (1958-62) since Reconstruction.  He has been a delegate to every South Carolina State Convention since 1956 and has attended all of them. He was a delegate to Republican National Conventions in 1960 and 1964.

Shorey was Fourth Congressional District Chairman for the Nixon, Ford and Reagan presidential campaigns; however, he achieved national prominence when he gave the seconding speech for the nomination of Barry Goldwater at the 1960 Republican Convention.

Greg Shorey got to know Roger Milliken when Shorey was State GOP Chairman and after employing an innovative tactic, convinced Milliken to become state party finance chairman.

The two became a great team and had a prominent role in bringing the “Solid Democrat South” into the modern conservative Republican Party.

Greg Shorey is a virtual walking encyclopedia of Republican Party History in South Carolina since the 1950s.

Discussing the birth and growth of the GOP in South Carolina, Shorey explained: “Many people think that when Strom Thurmond switched parties, that was the seminal moment for the South Carolina Republican Party. Some even say that it was Carroll Campbell’s election to Governor. Some say it was earlier than that, it was the election of Jim Edwards as Governor.

“None of that is the case. The seminal moment was the Goldwater movement that the Republican Party of South Carolina committed to in convention in 1960. That is when Strom, bless his heart, knew it was safe to switch parties.”

Shorey had been reading about Goldwater long before the 1960 Republican Convention. He had managed to arrange for the Arizona Senator to speak in Greenville. Both Shorey and Milliken endorsed Goldwater for President after they met him and heard him speak.  The South Carolina Republican Convention that year voted overwhelmingly to support Goldwater, although he was not running.

The bold action by State GOP Chairman Greg Shorey and Finance Chairman Roger Milliken, two transplants from New England who loved and sacrificed for the betterment of South Carolina for decades, changed the direction and history of the Republican Party forever through events surrounding the 1960 GOP Convention.

Shorey described one of the memorable events.

“I think history will record that it was that commitment by the South Carolina Republican delegation in 1960” that became the seminal moment for the GOP. “That is when Goldwater  made his famous withdrawal speech in favor of Nixon.

“You know how we persuaded  ol’ Barry to put his name up in that 60 convention knowing he was going to withdraw? That was the agreement. We were building for 1964.

“Roger and I had a suite of rooms. We shared a bath. Barry was over (in our suite) trying to talk us out of nominating him. But the South Carolina Delegation was committed. You know what we did? We locked Barry up in our bathroom. We said, ‘You are not coming out of there until you agree to let us nominate you.’”

Shorey could not repeat the foul language used by Goldwater who was very angry and cursing. He  insisted they get the Arizona Delegation over there and let him out of the bathroom.

“Greg, you get that Arizona Delegation over here and we are going to straighten you South Carolinians out,” Goldwater instructed.

“We worked with them,” Shorey said. “We said, ‘We are not going to relent. We are here with a dictate and a command from our state convention and that is our mission.’

“Barry is still locked up in the bathroom. Well finally, Governor Paul Fannin of Arizona said, ‘Barry, these South Carolinians are the hardest headed people I have ever run into. Guess what? I’m going to nominate you and South Carolina is going to second you.’ Governor Fannin nominated him and I was given the honor of giving the seconding speech,” Shorey concluded.

Looking back on the Goldwater era and the important role of the South Carolina Republican Party, led by Greg Shorey and Roger Milliken, Shorey reflected: “When History records, it will be the Goldwater movement that South Carolina really took the lead in. I could not have done it by myself. If I had not had someone like a Roger Milliken to write the checks, transporting us around, and his contacts, South Carolina may not have been in the action. But we were.

“When we walked into that convention four years later in 1964, it was a solid South vote. Every delegation in the 12 southern states was solid for Goldwater. If I am not mistaken, Barry Goldwater was the first candidate to be nominated in convention before the completion of the first roll call vote. Not only was it a seminal moment for us, it changed the balance of political power in this country forever.

“We found a home finally. We found a way to coalesce, we found a voice, we found power and influence again.”

Shorey thinks we are facing another seminal moment between now and 2012.

“We desperately need to find another Goldwater-Reagan – someone with those kind of credentials, with that kind of backbone, with that unrelenting commitment to conservatism. We have to save our Constitutional Republic. I think that is what is at stake here. I don’t think it is Democrat and Republican, it is socialism or a constitutional Republic. I think it is the South’s job to show the way. We did it once and I believe we can do it again.

“I am convinced that what is getting us into trouble is compromise. We have to clean house in this state. We have poisoned our water with open primaries.”

Buford County spent $13,000 promoting registration by party. Greenville County has two attorneys who have invested thousands of dollars of donated time pursuing registration by party. The issue has been in the state party platform three times, but Democrats and RINOs are blocking it.

Registration by party remains a hot button item for Greg Shorey.

Greg Shorey is proud of the record of the 15 individuals who have served as chairman of the South Carolina Republican Party. “Every one has brought great credit to our party and have been truly unselfish. They represent 50 years of sacrifice.”

Greg Shorey will celebrate his 87th Birthday next month. He has been a role model for GOP leaders, but he is not finished yet. He still has that sparkle in his eyes and energy in his voice.

He might lock a state senator or two in a bathroom if they don’t begin acting and voting like the conservative Republicans they claim to be to get elected.

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