2008 Governor's Awards to be presented
The Humanities CouncilSC is pleased to announce that three extraordinary South Carolina individuals will be recipients of this year's annual Governor's Awards in the Humanities, presented at a luncheon to be held October 15, 2008 in the Hilton Columbia Center in downtown Columbia. The three recipients include— Rachel Hodges, former first lady of South Carolina, Dr. William C. Moran, longstanding university professor, administrator and president of Lander University, and Wayne Q. Justesen Jr., attorney and leading proponent for the humanities in South Carolina and across the nation.
Rachel Hodges is well- known to South Carolina and beyond, not only as former first lady of the state, but as creator of a highly successful literacy program known as Reading with Rachel. Launched in 1969, Reading with Rachel instilled a love of reading in thousands of South Carolina's children. During her tenure as first lady, Mrs. Hodges visited over 250 classrooms in the state and distributed more than 300,000 books to students and school libraries. Mrs. Hodges persuaded 18 publishers to donate books to her initiative. It was not uncommon for the first lady to invite school children to the Governor's Mansion where she would read to the children and send books home with them.
Dr. William C. Moran has devoted his professional life to education, particularly humanities- based education. Moran has served as a professor and chair of the Department of English and Speech at Berry College in Georgia, academic dean of Berry College, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, vice president for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty at Francis Marion University in Florence, and served eight years as president of Lander University in Greenwood. Most recently, Dr. Moran was the special assistant to the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research for the United Arab Emirates.
Wayne Q. Justesen Jr. is Secretary/General Counsel of Greenwood Mills, Inc. and a member of the board of directors of GMI Holdings, Inc.
