Gregory D. Shorey Papers
The Shorey Collection consists of 10 ft. of papers chiefly relating to his political activities, but also documenting his education and business career. The collection is arranged in six series—General Papers, Topical Files, Personal Files, Audiovisual Materials, News Clippings, and Vertical File Materials.
General Papers date from 1961 to 2019 and consist mostly of correspondence including family correspondence and letters discussing political events and issues sent to Shorey by others.
Topical files are divided into several sub-series. Beaufort County Board of Elections and Voter Registration files document Shorey’s role as an appointed member of the Board from 1994 to 2002. Files 1992 to 1994 relate Shorey’s interest in the activities of an earlier body, the Voter Registration and Election Task Force.
Campaign files cover elections 1952 to 2020 and are subdivided into races for national and South Carolina offices. The bulk of materials consist of mailings to constituents and potential donors and some campaign correspondence to or from Shorey relating to strategy, issues, or events. Of note are materials from the 1964 Barry Goldwater Presidential Campaign that reflect Shorey’s active involvement, including Goldwater for President Committee position papers, speeches by Roger Milliken and Shorey, and campaign materials such as a Barry Goldwater Comic Book, published by Dell in 1964, and illustrating the life of Goldwater. Also of interest are materials relating to Shorey’s chair of Pete DuPont’s 1988 Presidential campaign in South Carolina.
Issue files contain collected materials on topics of political interest to Shorey. Topics of particular interest to Shorey as both an active Republican Party member and as an election's official include arguments for voter registration by political party and for making English the only official language of the United States.
Persons files are collections of materials relating to various political figures and individuals including Bill and Hillary Clinton, Ronald Reagan, and Richard Nixon. The Nixon Persons file contains materials produced by Nixon for delegates of the 1960 Republican National Convention, correspondence to and from Nixon, and plans for Nixon’s May 1960 visit to Columbia, South Carolina. Also present in the Persons sub-series is one folder of material relating to Betty Shorey.
Political Action Committee (PAC) files include mailings received by Shorey from several national organizations including among others the American Conservative Union, Citizens against Government Waste, Ideas for America’s Future, and Judicial Watch. These materials provide insight to a variety of issues and ideas prominent in recent political discourse.
Republican files represent Shorey’s lengthy and active involvement in the Republican Party. Association files encompass Shorey’s local involvement in groups such as the Beaufort Federation of Republican Men Club. His national involvement is documented by Republican National Committee materials as well as Republican National Convention materials from the 1960 and 1964 Conventions. National Committee materials range from fundraising materials to the Battle Line, a 1963-1964 publication of the Committee. Shorey’s prominent involvement in the South Carolina Republican Party is presented not only by materials from his chairmanship (1958-1960) but also through more recent materials, such as service on the Beaufort County Executive Committee, chairmanship of the state History and Archives Committee, and his involvement in the Former State Chairmen’s Association.
Personal papers are comprised of materials relating to Shorey’s life and business career. A biographical information file contains resumes and a brief political biography of Shorey. Materials from the Boston University School of Public Relations, Riegel Textile Corporation, and Style Crafters, Inc. / Gladding Corporation trace his education and successful business career. Also included are materials relating Shorey’s activities on numerous commissions and in professional associations, notably, his service on the South Carolina Dairy Commission (1974-1979). Other aspects of Shorey’s life and career are documented in the Speeches and Writings file which include speeches from his political and professional activities as well as articles, letters to the editor and position papers relating to his political views.
Audiovisual materials include audiocassettes and reel-to-reel magnetic tape recordings collected by Shorey throughout his political career. Of interest are recordings of a 1959 speech by Goldwater in Greenville and press interviews with Shorey after the 1960 Republican National Convention. Photographs include images of political figures such as Goldwater, Ronald Reagan and others, as well as images of Republican Party events. Videotapes include Nixon’s 1960 Presidential nomination acceptance speech and campaign materials from Pete DuPont, Newt Gingrich, and John McCain.
Clippings date 1948 to 2019 and contain general clippings relating to Shorey’s political activities and career, articles collected by Shorey relating to the Beaufort Board of Elections and Voter Registration, and materials relating to the South Carolina Republican Party. General clippings from 1960 and 1964 provide comprehensive coverage of the 1960 and 1964 Republican National Conventions and Shorey’s involvement in the Goldwater movement.
Vertical File Materials contain information gathered by SCPC relating to Shorey and may duplicate information already present in the collection.
Dates
- 1948-2019
Creator
- Shorey, Gregory D. (Author, Person)
Access
Library Use Only
Extent
10 Linear Feet
Abstract
Businessman Greg Shorey became a leading force in developing the Republican Party in South Carolina during the 1950s and 1960s. In 1952, Shorey became an active leader of South Carolinians for Eisenhower in Greenville County. He worked again in support of Eisenhower in 1956, and was a leading figure in Barry Goldwater's 1960 and 1964 presidential campaigns. He served as Chair of the Party from 1958 to 1961, has been active at the local, state, and national levels, and continues to be an active leader in the Party to this day.
Biographical Note
Businessman Greg Shorey became a leading force in developing the Republican Party in South Carolina during the 1950s and 1960s. He served as Chair of the party from 1958 to 1961, has been active at the local, state, and national levels, and continues to be an active leader in the party to this day.
Gregory Day Shorey, Jr. was born in Belmont, Massachusetts, on June 27, 1924. He studied business administration and law at Boston University and became a public relations consultant in the Boston area in the late 1940s. While in school, Shorey was employed by the Massachusetts State Republican Committee and assisted with public relations work. In 1949, he moved to Greenville, S.C., and soon founded Style-Crafters, Inc., of Greenville, a manufacturer of marine safety and water sports equipment. Gladding Corporation acquired the company in 1969 and Shorey became corporate group vice president of Gladding. Later, he headed the apparel division of Riegel Textile Corporation, and, in the early 1970s, co-founded a marketing and communications firm based in Greenville.
In 1952, Shorey became an active leader of South Carolinians for Eisenhower in Greenville County. He worked again in support of Eisenhower in 1956, and was a leading figure in Barry Goldwater’s 1960 and 1964 presidential campaigns.
From 1958 to 1961, Shorey, served as the state chairman of a South Carolina’s nascent Republican Party. In trying to energize the second party movement, Shorey and other party leaders hoped—“out of this two-party movement, will come a virile local democracy to replace the stagnant, mediocre and sometimes corrupt practices of the present administrations.” Shorey argued that the two party system would “insure contest through competition of better qualified candidates for public office at all levels, permit the election of candidates standing on a platform and principle, not merely selection in a popularity contest known as a primary....secure government at all levels more responsive and responsible to the citizen....insure candidates campaigning and serving under true colors of conservative party vs. liberal party....give regional balance at national levels of government so that South Carolina will not be taken for granted or ignored....[and] perpetuate and safeguard dynamic conservatism, free enterprise, free labor and states rights in South Carolina.” [Greenville County Republican Party handbook, Building a Better Community, c.1958]
In the book Suite 3505, historian Cliff White noted that the effort which resulted in Goldwater’s “sudden ascent to national prominence at Chicago in 1960 was....spearheaded...by Gregory D. Shorey, Jr. and Roger Milliken.” Shorey served as chairman of the Goldwater for President Committee at the Chicago convention and his efforts and those of other members of the South Carolina delegation laid the groundwork for Goldwater’s successful 1964 bid for the Republican presidential nomination. Shorey served as member of the Goldwater for President National Executive Committee, helping plan the conservative candidate’s campaign, and was also a delegate to the 1964 Republican National Convention. Shorey’s interest and involvement in Republican affairs continues to this day.
Timeline
1924 Born to Gregory Day and Lucille McNamara Shorey, June 27
1943 Entered U.S. Navy, served 1943-1945 with Navy Armed Guard and Amphibious Fleet in Atlantic and
Mediterranean Theaters, participated in invasions of Sicily and Italy, Anzio, Arno River Crossing,
and D-Day
1945 Attended Monmouth College, Feb.-May
Attended Officer’s School, St. Mary’s College, May-Oct.
Attended Northeastern University, Oct.-Aug. 1946
1946 Attended Boston University College of Business Admin., Aug.-Jan. 1947
Married Betty Jane Young, March 2
1947 Attended Boston University School of Law, Feb.-Sept.
Attended Boston University School of Public Relations, Sept.-May 1948
Founded and served as President, Boston University Young Republicans, 1947-1948
1948 B.S. Degree, Boston University
Employed by Massachusetts Memorial Hospitals as Director of Public Relations, April-Aug.
1949 Daughter Pamela Grace born, July 18
1950 December: moved to Greenville as public relations consultant
1951 Co-founded Style-Crafters, Inc., manufacturer of marine safety and water sports equipment
On temporary steering committee of Greenville’s Citizens for Eisenhower
1952 An active leader of South Carolinians for Eisenhower in Greenville County
1956 Delegate to Republican National Convention
c.1956-58 Served as unofficial acting director to South Carolina Republican Party under chairman Frank Faux of Laurens
1958 Elected Chairman, South Carolina Republican Party, served 1958-1961
1960 Delegate to Republican National Convention
1961 Resigned as party chair, c. July, 1961
1964 Delegate to Republican National Convention
Member, Goldwater for President National Executive Committee
1969 Style-Crafters acquired by Gladding Corp. Shorey moves to Syracuse, N.Y., to work in general
corporate offices as vice president and director of corporate marketing activities for all Gladding
sporting goods divisions
early 1970s Founded Shorey and Associates, Greenville, a marketing and communications firm catering to
individual client market research and public relations
1971 Appointed Vice President of Marketing, Lowndes Products, Inc., Easley, and returns to S.C.
1972 Named President, Apparel Fabrics Division, Riegel Textile Corporation
1974 Appointed to S.C. Dairy Commission by Gov. Edwards, served 1974-1979
1978 Awarded Order of the Palmetto
1979 Resigned from S.C. Dairy Commission
1990 Son G. “Day” Shorey, III acquires Shorey and Associates of Greenville retired to Dataw Island
1991 Served on Finance Committee of Inglis for Congress campaign
1992 Chaired S.C. support for Pete DuPont for President
1993 On Advisory Board, SC Republican Leadership Council, 1993-1994
Parliamentarian, Beaufort County Republican Party
1994 Helped organize Past Republican State Chairmen [of S.C.]
Appointed to Beaufort County Board of Elections and Registration
Active supporter of Hartnett for Governor
1996 Founded S.C. Past State Chairman’s Association
2002 Resigns from Beaufort County Board of Elections and Registration
Provenance
Donated by Gregory D. Shorey.
Copyright
Copyright of the Gregory D. Shorey papers has been transferred to the University of South Carolina.
Processing Information
Processed by Herbert J. Hartsook, 1995; Additions: 2004 by Laura Koser; 2010 by Emily Rogers; 2012 by Kate Moore; 2019 and 2020 by Ann Abney.
Creator
- Shorey, Gregory D. (Author, Person)
Repository Details
Part of the South Carolina Political Collections Repository
Ernest F. Hollings Special Collections Library
1322 Greene St.
University of South Carolina
Columbia SC 29208 USA
803-777-0577
scpc@mailbox.sc.edu
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin