G. Late 20th & Early 21st Centuries | South Carolina Hall of Fame

1945 to present

Meet South Carolinians who made significant contribution during Cold War America (1945-1991) and The Civil Rights Movement (1947 - 1972). Also meet the outstanding South Carolinians from the world of politics, economics, sports, literature and the arts.

Within this Series

Anne Worsham Richardson | S.C. Hall of Fame

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Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Known as the “Charleston Bird Lady,” Anne Worsham Richardson (1919-2012), renowned wildlife artist, was sometimes dubbed the Audubon of her time. No other South Carolinian has done more to portray the...

Benjamin Mays | S.C. Hall of Fame

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Grades: 6 7 8

Benjamin Mays (1894-1984) was a minister, educator, scholar and social activist. He was known as the "Father of the Civil Rights Movement."

Bobby Richardson | S.C. Hall of Fame

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Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Bobby Richardson, native of Sumter, South Carolina, played second base for the New York Yankees from 1955 to 1966. He won the Gold Glove Award five times and was selected to the American League All...

Cale Yarborough | S.C. Hall of Fame

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Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Cale Yarborough was born in 1939 and grew up on a farm in Sardis, South Carolina. He entered his first NASCAR race in 1957 and won the Darlington 500 in 1968. Yarborough won the Daytona 500 four times...

Cardinal Joseph Bernardin | S.C. Hall of Fame

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Joseph Louis Bernardin was born in 1928 in Columbia, South Carolina, where there were not many Catholics. He was the son of Italian immigrants, with a younger sister Elaine. He was baptized and...

Carlisle Floyd | S.C. Hall of Fame

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Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Carlisle Floyd is one of the foremost composers and librettists of opera in the United States. Born in Latta, South Carolina in 1926, Floyd earned degrees in piano and composition at Syracuse...

Charles Bolden | S.C. Hall of Fame

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Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

One of three astronauts inducted into the South Carolina Hall Of Fame, Charles Bolden, Jr. flew on four space shuttle missions while an astronaut, and in 2009 was appointed by President Obama to be...

Charles Duke | S.C. Hall of Fame

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Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Inducted into the South Carolina Hall Of Fame, Charles Duke, Jr. is one of only twelve people to ever walk on the Moon as part of the historic Apollo 16 mission in 1972. Charles Moss "Charlie" Duke...

Charles Townes | S.C. Hall of Fame

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Grades: 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Charles H. Townes was born in Greenville, South Carolina, July 28, 1915, and grew up on a farm. Townes studied at Furman and Duke Universities, then headed west to Cal Tech. After getting his Ph.D...

Darius Rucker | S.C. Hall of Fame

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Grades: 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Darius Rucker (Darius Carlos Rucker (born May 13, 1966) is an American singer and songwriter. He first gained fame as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of rock band Hootie & the Blowfish, which...

Darla Moore | S.C. Hall of Fame

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Grades: 6 7 8

Darla Moore was born and raised near Lake City, South Carolina, growing up on the family cotton, soybean and tobacco farm. After graduating from Lake City High School, she attended the University of...

David Bancroft Johnson | S.C. Hall of Fame

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Grades: 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

As Superintendent of Schools in Columbia, South Carolina, David Bancroft Johnson saw the need for an institution that would focus on training teachers. He received funds from Robert Winthrop and the...

Dizzy Gillespie | S.C. Hall of Fame

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Grades: 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

"From the Be to the Bop: The Musical Legacy of Dizzy Gillespie." An excerpt from South Carolina ETV's Carolina Stories.

Donald Stuart Russell | S.C. Hall of Fame

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Grades: 6 7 8

Donald Stuart Russell (1906-1998) was a protégé of former Secretary of State James F. Byrnes. Russell was Governor of South Carolina from 1963-1965 and a U.S. Senator. He also served as President of...

Elizabeth Coker | S.C. Hall of Fame

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Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Elizabeth Boatwright Coker (1909-1993) was the author of nine historical romance novels. Born in Darlington, South Carolina, she was married to South Carolina industrialist James Lide Coker, III. She...

Elizabeth O'Neill Verner | S.C. Hall of Fame

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Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Elizabeth O'Neill Verner (1883–1979) was an artist, author and preservationist from Charleston, South Carolina. She was one of the leading figures in the “Charleston Renaissance” movement, which...

Ernest "Fritz" Hollings | S.C. Hall of Fame

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Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Ernest “Fritz” Hollings was born in Charleston, South Carolina in 1922. He graduated from The Citadel in 1942 and served as an artillery officer in World War Two. After the war, he was elected to the...

Frances Ravenel Smythe Edmunds | S.C. Hall of Fame

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Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Frances Ravenel Smythe Edmunds achieved national recognition as an advocate for historic preservation. She graduated from the College of Charleston in 1939. In 1947, she founded the Historic...

General Jacob Edward Smart | S.C. Hall of Fame

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Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Jacob E. Smart served with the legendary General "Hap" Arnold in World War II, planning the daring bombing raid "Operation Tidal Wave". During the Cold War General Smart became an important leader in...

General William C. Westmoreland | S.C. Hall of Fame

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This is the story of General William C. Westmoreland, an Eagle Scout from Spartanburg County who earned medals for bravery in World War II and became a Four-Star General and the Military Commander of...

Governor James Burrows Edwards | S.C. Hall of Fame

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Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

James Burrows Edwards was born in Hawthorne, Florida, and was an officer in the U.S. Maritime Service during World War II. Edwards received a bachelor's degree in 1950 at the College of Charleston. He...

Governor John C. West | S.C. Hall of Fame

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Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

John Carl West, Sr. served as the 109th Governor of South Carolina from 1971 to 1975. From 1977 to 1981, he was the U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia. Governor West died on March 21, 2004.

Governor Richard W. Riley | S.C. Hall of Fame

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Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Richard W. Riley was born January 2, 1933 in Greenville, South Carolina. He served in the South Carolina House of Representatives and Senate from 1963 to 1977 and was elected Governor of South...

Governor Robert E. McNair | S.C. Hall of Fame

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Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Robert E. McNair was Governor of South Carolina from 1965 to 1971. He led efforts in economic development, education, and civil rights. McNair was considered as a Democratic candidate for Vice...