Former teacher Joyce Hearn served in the South Carolina House of Representatives. Photo Credit: Dignity Memorial
Many excellent educators have also served their communities as capable politicians. One of these was Joyce Hearn, a former teacher from South Carolina who also served in her state’s House of Representatives.
Joyce was born on June 16, 1929, in Cedartown, Georgia. As a young girl, she enrolled at the University of West Georgia and then at the University of Georgia. She completed the requirements for her Bachelor’s degree in Education at Ohio State University. Once she earned her degrees, Joyce taught at Eau Claire High School in Columbia, South Carolina.
In 1974, Joyce was elected on the Republican ticket to the South Carolina House of Representatives. There she represented District 76, which covered Richland County, from 1975 to 1990. In the legislature, Joyce was named Assistant Minority Leader from 1976 to 1978 and again from 1987 to 1989. In this position she worked tirelessly to protect the rights of crime victims. Her work to expand the prosecution of rape changed the way the South Carolina public views rape and gave extra prosecuting options to all victims of domestic violence. She introduced legislation that reformed workers compensation laws and improved the rights of the disabled.
While in the House, Joyce also founded the National Order of Women Legislators, which to this day provides a national forum for women’s networking across all state legislatures. In 1979, Gov. Edwards awarded her the Order of the Palmetto for her many contributions to South Carolina. She also garnered the Mothers Against Drunk Driving Distinguished Service Award in 1985.
Once her terms in the South Carolina House were over, Joyce embarked on a third career. She founded her own company, Hearn & Associates. She ran this company until her retirement in 2014. Additionally, she was active in many organizations, including the Boards of the Columbia Urban League, the Federation of the Blind, Columbia College, and the Columbia Museum.
Chalkboard Champion and politician Joyce Hearn passed away on Jan. 20, 2021, in Columbia. She was 91 years old. She is interred at Elmwood Memorial Gardens in Columbia, South Carolina.
