(Editor's note: Biographical excerpts are taken from the May 21 awards dinner program.)

In the post- WWII era of state leaders, Bob McNair was a visionary who used his unique cooperative style of management to improve the economic climate and make a difference in South Carolina. As governor, he fostered the development of a probusiness environment that attracted foreign investment in the state and, as a private citizen, conceived and developed a significant business of his own.

Born at the home of an aunt in Cades, S.C., on December 14, 1923, Mcnair was the only child of Daniel Evander and Claudia Crawford McNair. He grew up on the family farm in Hell Hole Swamp region of Berkeley County. He married his college sweetheart, Josephine Robinson of Allendale, before shipping out for two years' service in the Pacific Theater with the U.S. Navy. Following his discharge, McNair returned to the University of South Carolina and earned his bachelor of arts and bachelor of laws degrees.

As a legislator, McNair took the lead in passing pro- business right- to- work legislation and spearheaded the enactment of a law establishing the South Carolina Advisory Committee for Technical Education. As governor, he championed legislation to combine three state agencies into one — the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism — to promote tourism, the state's largest industry.

Upon leaving the governor's office in 1971, McNair founded the McNair Law Firm, which made it possible for South Carolina companies to have access to quality corporate legal services instate rather than having to seek them in Atlanta, Chicago, or New York City.

Bob and Josephine McNair were married for 63 years, had four children: Robert E. Mcnair Jr., Robin Lee McNair Howell, Corinne Calhoun McNair Godshall, and Claudia Crawford McNair — six grandchildren, and one great- grandchild.

Joe Edens

South Carolinians need go no farther than their neighborhood shopping center to experience the impact of one of the state's pre- eminent entrepreneurs, Joe Edens, who opened a real estate business with only $500 in credit at age 25 and is largely responsible for bringing grocery- anchored shopping centers to South Carolina. Edens was one of the first developers in the state to bundle necessary retail in one place for convenient neighborhood shopping.

Edens was born July 4, 1941, to Joe and Josephine Beckham Edens. Following the example set by his father, Edens developed a strong work ethic at a young age. He started work in his father's food store, Edens Foods, in downtown Columbia at age eight. He learned the food business from the ground up and the value of providing good service, building relationships with customers, and treating employees well.

Edens determined that there was a need for neighborhood- oriented, onestop shopping in the state. In 1967, at the age of 26, Edens developed his first grocery- anchored shopping center on Beltline Boulevard, and the neighborhood shopping center concept was born in South Carolina. By 1974, Edens owned grocery- anchored centers in South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia.

Today, Edens & Avant is one of the leading retail real estate companies in the nation with assets valued at $3.5 billion from Boston to Miami.

He and his wife Carolyn have been married 36 years. They have two sons, Joe and Michael, a daughter Kim, and six grandchildren.

Hayne Hipp

While leading South Carolina's Liberty Corporation, Hayne Hipp's vision propelled the company to a level of success few would imagine.

In 1979, Hipp was named CEO of The Liberty Corporation. During the 1980s, Liberty sold its investments in United Fidelity in Texas and Greater Arizona Savings and Loan in Phoenix. The company also invested heavily in new computer technologies and training, introduced an expanded portfolio of products for Liberty Life, and added television stations to Cosmos Broadcasting's portfolio.

By 1997, The Liberty Corporation's net income was $74.9 million on revenues of $660 million, and assets had grown to $3.2 billion. Insurance revenues reached $509 million while Cosmos Broadcasting's revenues swelled to $138 million with the balance coming from investments.

Hipp was born March 11, 1940, in Greenville, the son of Mary Matilda and Francis Moffett Hipp. His grandfather, W. Frank Hipp, founded Liberty Life Insurance Company in 1916. Fifteen years later, he purchased the WIS- AM radio station in Columbia as a vehicle to advertise the life insurance business across the state.

After graduating from Washington & Lee University, Hipp served in the U.S. Army, earned an MBA from Wharton at the University of Pennsylvania, and married Anna Kate Reid of Arkadelphia, Arkansas. Upon receipt of his MBA in 1965, Hipp began his career with Metropolitan Life in San Francisco as a door- to- door sales agent.

In the late 1990s Liberty sold its real estate portfolio and Pierce National Life, and Liberty exited the insurance business altogether with the sale of Liberty Life Insurance Company and affiliated companies to the Royal Bank of Canada for $650 million. In January 2006, Liberty sold its broadcasting business, including 15 networkbased television stations, to Raycom Media for $987 million.

Hayne and Anna Kate Hipp have three children: Mary, Reid and Tres, and five grandchildren.