History of the North Carolina Awards [1]
History of the North Carolina Awards
[3]On June 22, 1961, the General Assembly [4] established the North Carolina Awards [2], the highest civilian honor the State of North Carolina can bestow. According to the legislation, called General Statute 140A-2:
[t]hese recognitions shall be known as the North Carolina Awards for Literature, Science, the Fine Arts and Public Service, and shall be conferred upon citizens of North Carolina for the most notable attainments in these respective fields during the current year, terminating four months before the date of award, though such distinctions can be exceptionally conferred, with the approval of the Governor and the Council of State, for eminence achieved during years prior to the award. 1961 Session Laws, pages 1572-1573 [5].
The first medals were awarded in 1964 to five recipients. Up to six awards may be presented each year.
Since its inception, more than 250 notable men and women have been honored by the state of North Carolina. Past recipients include William Friday [6], Romare Bearden [7], James Taylor [8], Gertrude Elion [9], John Hope Franklin [10], David Brinkley [11], Maya Angelou [12], Billy Graham [13], and Branford Marsalis [14].
Nominations may be submitted by anyone, with final decisions made by the NC Awards Committee, comprised of five gubanatorial appointees. Recipients are typically honored during a ceremony that takes place each fall. The North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources [15] administers the award program.
View the ceremony programs by year in the NC Digital Collections [3].
About the Medals
The North Carolina Award medals were designed by the sculptor Paul Manship [16], one of his last commissions before his death in 1966 at the age of 81. Each medal is 2 ¾ inches in diameter. It is intended to be worn on a red, white, and blue ribbon around the neck. The first medals were made of fourteen karat gold, although the mineral content has changed over the years to 10 karat gold (1974-1979) and gold-plated silver (1980-today).
Alphabetical List of Medal Winners
Biographical essays are available for each North Carolina Award recipient in the ceremony program for that year. Ceremony programs are online at http://digital.ncdcr.gov/cdm/ref/collection/p249901coll22/id/39993 [3].
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Adcock, Betty. Literature, 1996 |
Green, Jaki Shelton. Literature, 2003 Green, Paul. Literature, 1965 Griffith, Andy. Fine Arts, 1984 Gurganus, Allan. Literature, 1999 Guthrie, Frank. Science, 1983 Hamner Jr., Charles E. Public Service, 2011 Handler, Philip. Science, 1970 Hanes, Frank Borden. Public Service, 2003 Hanes Jr., J. Gordon. Public Service, 1985 Hanes Jr., R. Philip. Fine Arts, 1982 Hardy, Martha Nell. Fine Arts, 2002 Harrelson, Walter J. Literature, 2004 Harris, Bernice Kelly. Literature, 1966 Hearn Jr., Thomas. Public Service, 2006 Herring, William Dallas. Public Service, 1972 Hill, George Watts. Public Service, 1984 Hill, Robert. Science, 1984 Hitchings, George. Science, 1980 Hodges, Luther. Public Service, 1966 Holshouser Jr., James. Public Service, 2006 Horton, Frank. Fine Arts, 1999 Hotelling, Harold. Science, 1972 Howell, Claude. Fine Arts, 1985 Humber, Robert Lee. Public Service, 1968 Hunt, Betty Debnam. Public Service, 2005 Hunt Jr., James Baxter. Public Service, 2003 Hutchison III, Clyde. Science, 1995 Jackson, Herb. Fine Arts, 1999 Jenrette, Richard. Public Service, 1994 Johnson, Gerald. Literature, 1965 Johnson, Hunter. Fine Arts, 1965 Jones, H. G. Public Service, 2002 Jones, Mary Ellen. Science, 1991 Jordan III, Robert. Public Service, 2001 Kamphoefner, Henry. Fine Arts, 1978 Kellenberger, May G.L. Public Service, 1969 Kenan, Frank. Public Service, 1990 Kenan, Randall. Literature, 2005 Kenan III, Thomas. Public Service, 1997 Koontz, Elizabeth Duncan. Public Service, 1977 Kreps, Juanita. Public Service, 1976 Kuralt, Charles. Public Service, 1987 Lambeth, Thomas Willis. Public Service, 2005 Lancaster, H. Martin. Public Service, 2011 Lee, William. Public Service, 1988 Lefkowitz, Robert. Science, 1987 Leonard, R. Michael. Public Service, 2010 Leuchtenburg, William. Literature, 2007 Lindgren, Robert. Fine Arts, 1980 Linney, Romulus. Literature, 2002 Littleton, Harvey. Fine Arts, 1987 London, Edith. Fine Arts, 1988 Long, William Ivey. Fine Arts, 2004 Mackay, Trudy F. C. Science, 2011 Madey, John. Science, 1992 Maron, Margaret. Literature, 2008 Marsalis, Branford. Fine Arts, 2011 Martin, James. Public Service, 2008 Matheson, Elizabeth. Fine Arts, 2004 Mayo, John. Science, 1995 McCain, Betty Ray. Public Service, 2009 McCall, Adeline. Fine Arts, 1981 McColl Jr, Hugh L. Public Service, 2009 McCorkle, Jill. Literature, 1999 McGlohon, Loonis. Fine Arts, 1989 McKay, Martha. Public Service, 1996 Meredith, Jesse. Public Service, 1991 Merritt, Hiram Houston. Science, 1967 Miller, Heather. Literature, 1983 Mitchell Jr., Burley. Public Service, 2007 Mitchell, Joseph. Literature, 1984 Mitchiner, Reginald. Science, 1977 Moore, Dan. Public Service, 1980 Moore, Jeanelle. Public Service, 1980 Morehead, John. Public Service, 1964 Morgan, Robert. Literature, 1991 Morton, Hugh. Public Service, 1983 Murray, Royce W. Science, 2001 Ness, Kenneth. Fine Arts, 1973 Newman, Margaret S. "Tog." Public Service, 2010 |
Nicholson, Freda. Public Service, 1994 Niven, Penelope. Literature, 2004 Noland, Kenneth. Fine Arts, 1995 Odell Jr., A.G. Fine Arts, 1966 Owen, Guy. Literature, 1971 Pagano, Joseph. Science, 1996 Park, Roy. Public Service, 1989 Parker, Michael. Literature, 2006 Parker Jr., Roy. Public Service, 2006 Parr, Robert. Science, 1999 Patton, Frances Gray. Literature, 1970 Pearson, Henry. Fine Arts, 1970 Peiser, Mark. Fine Arts, 2009 Pierce, Ovid. Literature, 1969 Pittman, Hobson. Fine Arts, 1968 Poe, Clarence. Public Service, 1964 Powell, William. Literature, 2000 Preyer, Emily Harris. Public Service, 1998 Preyer, L. Richardson. Public Service, 1998 Price, Reynolds. Literature, 1977 Ragan, Sam. Fine Arts, 1979 Rash, Ron. Literature, 2011 Rice, Oscar. Science, 1966 Rivera, Jr., Alexander. Fine Arts, 2008 Rodbell, Martin. Science, 1998 Rooke, Leon. Literature, 1990 Rose, Charlie. Public Service, 2007 Rounds, Glen. Literature, 1981 Royster, Vermont. Literature, 1968 Rubin Jr., Louis. Literature, 1992 Russell, Charles. Literature, 1968 Sabiston Jr., David. Science, 1978 Saltzman, Marvin. Fine Arts, 1998 Sanders, Charles. Science, 2006 Sanders, John. Public Service, 1996 Sanford, Terry. Public Service, 1970 Scherr, Mary Ann. Fine Arts, 2003 Schmidt-Nielsen, Knut. Science, 1999 Schopler, Eric. Public Service, 1993 Scott, Ralph. Public Service, 1981 Scott, Robert. Public Service, 1996 Semans, James & Mary. Fine Arts, 1971 Shelton, Henry. Public Service, 1999 Simpson, Bland. Fine Arts, 2005 Simpson, Vollis. Fine Arts, 2011 Sloane, Joseph. Fine Arts, 1977 Smith, Arthur. Fine Arts, 2001 Smith, Dean. Public Service, 2008 Smith, Lee. Literature, 1984 Smithies, Oliver. Science, 1993 Spaulding, Elna. Public Service, 1997 Speight, Francis. Fine Arts, 1964 Spencer, Elizabeth. Literature, 1994 Stafford, Darrel. Science, 2007 Stanback, Fred & Alice. Public Service, 2008 Stanford Jr., Charles. Fine Arts, 1969 Stannett, Vivian. Science, 1981 Stem Jr., Thad. Literature, 1974 Stephens, Stanley. Science, 1968 Stephenson, Shelby. Literature, 2001 Sultan, Donald. Fine Arts, 2010 Swalin, Benjamin F. Fine Arts, 1967 Swalin, Maxine. Public Service, 1989 Talley Jr., Banks. Public Service, 1995 Taylor, Billy. Fine Arts, 1993 Taylor, James. Fine Arts, 1998 Thornton, William. Science, 2003 Thorp, Bo. Fine Arts, 2009 Thurman, Maxwell. Public Service, 1992 Timberlake, Bob. Fine Arts, 1990 Tynes, Harriet. Public Service, 1978 Walker, LeRoy T. Public Service, 2004 Walser, Richard. Literature, 1976 Wani, Mansukh. Science, 2005 Ward, Robert. Fine Arts, 1975 Watson, Doc. Fine Arts, 1986 Waynick, Capus. Public Service, 1971 Weatherford, Carole Boston. Literature, 2010 Webb, James E. Public Service, 1971 Wellman, Manly Wade. Literature, 1978 Wicker, Tom. Literature, 1981 Wilkerson, Annie Louise. Science, 2004 Williams, Jonathan. Fine Arts, 1977 Williams, William T. Fine Arts, 2006 Wilson, Edwin Graves. Public Service, 2002 Wilson, Emily Herring. Literature, 2006 Winston, Ellen Black. Public Service, 1974 Wolf, Frederick. Science, 1965 Wyngaarden, James. Science, 1974 |
African American Recipients
The Information Services Branch at the NC Government & Heritage Library [18] has received several inquiries for a list of African Americans who have been awarded the North Carolina Award.
Angelou, Maya. Literature, 1987
Baker, Etta. Fine Arts, 2003
Barrax, Gerald. Literature, 2009
Bayes, Ronald. Literature, 1989
Bearden, Romare. Fine Arts, 1976
Biggers, John. Fine Arts, 1995
Burke, Selma. Fine Arts, 1982
Chambers, Julius L. Public Service, 2002
Davis, Charles (Chuck). Fine Arts, 1992
Donaldson, Lou. Fine Arts, 2012
Fletcher, William. Science, 2000
Franklin, John Hope. Literature, 1993
Frye, Henry. Public Service, 2007
Green, Jaki Shelton. Literature, 2003
Kenan, Randall. Literature, 2005
Koontz, Elizabeth Duncan. Public Service, 1977
Marsalis, Branford. Fine Arts, 2011
Mitchiner, Reginald. Science, 1977
Rivera Jr., Alexander. Fine Arts, 2008
Taylor, Billy. Fine Arts, 1993
Walker, LeRoy T. Public Service, 2004
Weatherford, Carole Boston. Literature, 2010
Williams, William T. Fine Arts, 2006
15 August 2012 | Rudersdorf, Amy
