L. Mendel Rivers, a native of Berkeley County, South Carolina, served in the United States House of Representatives for thirty years.  He was educated in the state's public schools, the College of Charleston, and the University of South Carolina.

    He was admitted to the South Carolina Bar in 1932 and served in the state legislature from 1933 to 1936.  From 1936 to 1940, he served as a special attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice and was admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States.

    He was Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee in the 89th, 90th, and 91st Congresses.  As Chairman, Congressman Rivers maintained an abiding commitment to America's defense posture.  In regards to the Navy, Mr. Rivers said, "Naval power is necessary to assure freedom of the seas, not only for ourselves, but for most of the free world."  He was an outspoken advocate of nuclear propulsion for submarines, aircraft carriers, and frigates.

    Upon his death on December 28, 1970, Senator Strom Thurmond said, "His lifestyle, his flamboyance, his wit,  his intelligence, and his personality were to be greatly admired.  One of the rare things a man ever does is to do the best he can.  Mendel Rivers always met that test."

    Admiral Hyman G. Rickover said of him, "Mendel Rivers was a great American patriot.  He was dedicated to peace but aware of the awesome responsibility our nation bears in defense of our freedom."