Candy Yaghjian Waites Papers

“I want to be known as a representative who not only works hard for the people, but one who meets the highest standards of personal conduct and public service” - Candy Waites Since 1973, Candy Waites has been a prominent figure in the Columbia community. A former president of the League of Women Voters of Columbia, Waites went on to serve on Richland County Council for twelve years. In 1988, Waites was elected State Representative for House District 75, a position she held for six years. In addition, she served Governor Jim Hodges as Director of Children’s Services and was Associate Dean of Leadership and a lecturer of Political Science at Columbia College. A lifelong resident of Richland County, Candy Yaghjian Waites was born on February 21, 1943 to Edmund Yaghjian and Dorothy Candy. She earned a B.A. in English from Wheaton College in Norton, Massachusetts in 1965. In 1997, she received a Masters in Public Administration from the University of South Carolina. In 1965, she married Robert G. Waites and they have two daughters. With her mother active in the League of Women Voters, it is no surprise that Waites had an early interest in politics. She made national news as a senior at Wheaton College. The presidential election of 1964 was the first election in which Waites was eligible to vote. At that time South Carolina did not allow residents who attended college out of state to get an absentee ballot. Students at Wheaton started the “Cokes for Candy” campaign where students donated 10 cents (the price of a coke) to raise money for Waites to get a flight home so she could vote on election day. When the story hit the news, donations and letters of support came in from all over the country. Partially as a result of this campaign, South Carolina amended the absentee ballot law the following year. From 1973 to 1976, Waites served as the president of the League of Women Voters of Columbia/Richland County. After being contacted by both the Democratic and Republican parties about running for office, she left the post to run as a Democrat for the Richland County Council and became the first woman elected to the Council. Re-elected in 1980 and 1984, she served on the Council for twelve years. Waites served as Chairman of the Council in 1979 and served as Chair of the Administration and Finance Committee and the Development and Services Committee during her tenure. In addition, she sat on the Central Midlands Regional Planning Council Board from 1977 to 1984 and the Richland County Coordinating Committee on Child Abuse and Neglect in 1977. Governor Richard Riley appointed Waites to the Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations and the SC Interagency Council on Public Transportation. In June 1988, Waites was elected to the SC House of Representatives in a special election. She was re-elected to a full term in November 1988. During her time in the House, she served on the Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee, the Nuclear Waste Consultation Committee, and the Local Government Study Committee. She also co-chaired the Freshmen Caucus and was secretary of the Democratic Caucus. In 1994, she decided not to pursue reelection due to district reapportionment. Outside of public office, Waites has served her community in many ways. She was on the Wachovia Bank Advisory Board, the Columbia Housing Authority Board, the Palmetto Richland Memorial Hospital Foundation Board, and Capital Senior Center Board. She was also the Director of External Programs for The Leadership Institute and Lecturer in Political Science at Columbia College. During Governor Jim Hodges’ administration, Waites served on his team as Director of Children’s Services. Waites has received many accolades for her commitment to her community throughout the years. In 1975, she was the Jaycees Outstanding Woman of the Year. She was named Legislator of the Year for 1992 and the following year was inducted into the YWCA Tribute to Women and Industry Hall of Fame. In 1998, she received the ATHENA Award which recognizes women in leadership and business. The following year, Waites was elected to the National ATHENA Foundation Board.