Tim Scott Set to Take Senate Oath

Rep. Tim Scott makes history today when he is sworn in as South Carolina's newest U.S. Senator.

The 47-year-old Republican will be South Carolina's first black U.S. Senator since reconstruction, and only the seventh black person to serve in the upper chamber, a distinction he'll share with President Barack Obama, a former U.S. Senator from Illinois.

Scott and the other Senators will take the oath at noon today. They will then reenact the oath in the Old Senate Chambers since photography is not allowed the official chambers. Vice President Joe Biden delivers the oath.

Making history is not new role for Scott. He was also the first African American elected to U.S. House from South Carolina since reconstruction. Three black Congressman served from the state during reconstruction.

Scott, who served 13 years on the Charleston County Council before being elected to Congress, was appointed to the post by Gov. Nikki Haley after Sen. Jim DeMint announced he would resign to run conservative think tank the Heritage Foundation.

Scott, a fiscally and socially conservative former small business owner, brings a compelling storyline to a chamber that's been criticized for lacking diversity. Raised by a single mom, Scott once dropped out of high school but managed to still earn a college degree and to launch a successful insurance business.

Only one other black Republican has served in the U.S. Senate. Edward Brooke, R-Massachusetts, left the Senate in 1979. Three other black Democrats have served in Senate in the modern era. They were all from Illinois: Carol Moseley Braun, Obama and Roland Burris.