Darla Moore and husband Richard Rainwater in their Charleston home.
This is the first of two stories on one of the most influential women in South Carolina.
The pragmatic Grande Dame of South Carolina receives her guests by the Steinway & Sons grand piano, nestled in a front parlor niche of her luxurious South of Broad home.
She introduces her husband, Richard Rainwater, as "Dr. Doom." He is holding a can of soda, chatting and a little self-deprecating, full of praise for the lady of the house, worried that the economic downturn could mean utter disaster. A platter of hors d'oeuvres slides through.
Sprinkled among the doctors, lawyers and society people are those affiliated with the agriculture business who are in Charleston to attend the third-annual AgSummit, hosted by the Palmetto Institute.
The institute is the all-business, no-nonsense expression of Darla Moore's central passion: to raise the per-capita income of the state. And agriculture, South Carolina's No. 1 economic driver, offers one way to achieve her goal.
The guests enjoy drinks on the porch. The November night is crisp and clear, like Moore. She talks about the big plans for her hometown of Lake City. She shows off her extraordinary rare book collection in the warm, art-furnished library. read more
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