Star Profile
Rusty DePass of Grubb & Ellis Wilson/Kibler
By John Temple Ligon Temple@TheColumbiaStar.com

Rusty DePass

William Brunson (Rusty) DePass was regularly introduced by South Carolina's Lee Atwater, campaign manager for George H. W. Bush (#41), as "the guy who whipped my *@#$." Atwater was referring to the S.C. governor's race in 1974 when Atwater entered with General Westmoreland and DePass won with Gov. Jim Edwards.

DePass was born in Rock Hill, where his father was a textile executive with Inmont Corporation. DePass has an older sister, Kay, who deals and appraises in antique silver.

From kindergarten through the eighth grade, DePass attended Winthrop Training School.

DePass transferred to Woodbury Forest, a private boarding school in Orange, Virginia, where he went all four years.

After graduating from Woodbury Forest, DePass went to Clemson University where he joined Army R.O.T.C. for his four years. He accepted the commission and the obligation for two years of active duty in the Army.

Once he finished his basic officer's courses in transportation, DePass was assigned to Ft. Story in Virginia Beach. Among his duties at Ft. Story, including post protocol officer, DePass taught the officers' wives to play tennis.

For his year overseas, DePass was shipped out to South Korea where he was assigned as a transportation officer with the 2nd Infantry Division.

DePass left the Army in 1973 when he was asked to run Bill Durham's campaign for Columbia City Council in an off year. Durham won, but had to run for re- election in the following April's regular election.

Republican Dr. Jim Edwards of Mt. Pleasant asked DePass to run his campaign for governor later in 1974 in which Edwards won the nomination.

In 1975, DePass married and got a "real" job, as he puts it. DePass entered state government and handled the Land, Water, and Conservation Fund. The fund was a 50 percent match with the federal government, which DePass directed to a golf course at Patriot's Point and to Columbia's Riverfront Park, two successful applications still appreciated and greatly augmented since. His wife Susan worked for Richland County D.S.S.

In 1977, DePass and his wife had a son, Brunson, who recently served his country in Afghanistan. Their daughter Martha is two years younger than Brunson.

DePass left state government in 1980 for Bill Durham's real estate office, where he stayed until moving to Wilson/Kibler. DePass has worked with Wilson/Kibler for 19 years.

A few years ago, DePass was disappointed in Columbia City Council and its determination to develop a city- financed, city- owned convention center headquarters hotel. He knew it would lose money and knew why. DePass organized a protest faction and partnered with Candy Waites, former Democrat member of the House of Representatives, to present their shared objections to the public.

The public concurred and Columbia City Council backed down. A second request for proposals went out, this time asking for privately financed deals, only.

The privately financed Hilton Hotel at the corner of Senate and Park pays property taxes to the city and the county, as DePass said it should.