About: Lois Rhame West

Lois Rhame West (September 5, 1921 – May 6, 2014) was an American health and physical fitness advocate, activist, and philanthropist. She served as First Lady of South Carolina from 1971 until 1975 during the administration of her husband, Governor John C. West. Rhame West, a former faculty member at the University of South Carolina, made physical education and wellness the focus of her tenure as the state's First Lady. West later became the first woman serve as president of the Muscular Dystrophy Association, a position she held for two terms. She served on the Muscular Dystrophy Association's national board of directors for forty years.