The North Carolina Awards 2000

The Award
The North Carolina Awards were instituted by the 1961 General Assembly, which acted on the idea of Dr. Robert Lee Humber of Greenville, State Senator from Pitt County. The purpose of the Awards, as set forth in the statutes, is to recognize "notable accomplishments by the North Carolina citizens in the fields of scholarship, research, the fine arts and public leadership." It is the highest honor the state can bestow.

The North Carolina Awards Committee
Dr. Christopher C. Fordham III, Chairman
Joseph D. Rowand
Carolyn Collins
Doris Betts
John S. Stevens

Message from the Governor
The North Carolina Award is the highest honor our state can bestow. Created in 1961 by the General Assembly, the award is given yearly to men and women who have made significant contributions in science, literature, fine arts, and public service. On behalf of all North Carolinians I congratulate the 2000 award recipients for their outstanding achievements. We in North Carolina are grateful to these outstanding citizens for their leadership, service, and talent. 
Jim Hunt

Program 
37th North Carolina Awards 

Dinner Awards and Presentation
Raleigh Marriott Crabtree Valley, November 27, 2000

Welcome
The Honorable Betty Ray McCain, Secretary, North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources

Pledge of Allegiance
Captain D. R. Scheu, United States Navy, Retired, U.S.S. North Carolina Battleship Memorial, Wilmington, North Carolina

Invocation
The Reverend Hope Morgan Ward, Director of Connectional Ministries, north Carolina Conference, United Methodist Church, Raleigh, North Carolina

Entertainment
Oscar E. Velasco, Raleigh, North Carolina

Remarks 
Dr. Christopher C. Fordham III, Chairman, North Carolina Awards Committee

Awards Presentation
The Honorable James B. Hunt Jr., Governor, State of North Carolina


Acknowledgments
Video Documentation Program, Department of Cultural Resources
Centerpieces provided by Sandi's Florist, Garner, North Carolina
Wine provided by Biltmore Estate Wine Company, Asheville, NC, Stephen Miller


2000 North Carolina Award Recipients

Public Service

Harlan E. Boyles

Words such as "integrity," "dedication," and "good stewardship" are part of any description of Harlan E. Boyles, elected six times as North Carolina's State Treasurer. For a forty-six-year career spent skillfully managing the finances that underpin our state's current prosperity, Harlan E. Boyles receives the 2000 North Carolina Award in Public Service.

Born in 1929 to a farm couple in the Vale community of Lincoln County, Boyles intended to become a farmer himself until 1944. In June of that year a polio outbreak in the Catawba Valley led citizens of Hickory to create an emergency hospital. The third patient admitted, Boyles completed tenth grade via a correspondence course while hospitalized. He finished high school at Mary Martin Sloop's Crossnore School in Avery County. He went on to earn an accounting degree at the University of North Carolina in 1951.

The disease that closed the door to a life as a farmer opened the door to a life of public service. After graduation Boyles joined the North Carolina Department of Revenue as a tax auditor. As an advisor to the Tax Study Commission, Boyles crafted recommendations that led the General Assembly to change the tax code. These changes encouraged outof-state businesses to relocate to North Carolina, paving the way for the growth of the Research Triangle Park and other developments. Boyles was appointed deputy treasurer in 1960 and served in that position for sixteen years, working closely with then State Treasurer Edwin Gill.

In 1976 Boyles ran successfully for the first of six terms as State Treasurer. During his tenure, Boyles has maintained a Triple-A credit rating for the state, one of the few in the nation to keep that rating, which saves millions in interest on bonds. His office manages the public trust funds totaling over $68 billion dollars and administers the public employee retirement system. In his position as a member of the Council of State, he advises the governor on fiscal policy. His counsel is sought on every significant financial initiative, including the recent university bond package. In 1994 he published a book Keeper of the Public Purse, which outlines the history of public finance in the state.

Boyles also serves on a number of boards and commissions, among them the State Banking Commission, the State Board of Community Colleges, the North Carolina Art Society, and the Raleigh Salvation Army Advisory Board. He was instrumental in securing the site for the new North Carolina Museum of History building. His honors include the Distinguished Public Service Award from the North Carolina Citizens for Business and Industry; the President's Award from the National Association of State Auditors, Comptrollers and Treasurers; the Public Official of the Year Award from Governing magazine; and three honorary degrees. Appalachian State University's Walker College of Business recently inaugurated a Distinguished CEO Lecture Series to honor Boyles. Congressman Howard Coble, who once ran against Boyles for State Treasurer, said, "Harlan Boyles is the epitome of what a public servant ought to be. He's always been energetic and thoroughly effective in his job."

Harlan Boyles lives in Raleigh with his wife Frankie. They have three children and five grandchildren.



Science

William T. Fletcher

Although his background is in pure mathematics, William T. Fletcher realized years ago that using computers and applied math to solve real-world problems would be critical both in science education and in ensuring America had a workforce trained in tomorrow's skills. Among his most significant contributions have been encouraging women and minorities to study math and strengthening teachers'and students' math and computer skills. For his research and his commitment to mathematics and computer education, William T. Fletcher receives the 2000 North Carolina Award in Science.

Born in Durham, Fletcher entered North Carolina Central University (NCCU) intending to study business. But, the late Marjorie Lee Browne one of the first African American women to earn a doctorate in math-awoke in him a fascination with mathematics. After earning a B.S. with high honors and an M.S. in mathematics at NCCU in 1956 and 1958, respectively, Fletcher earned a doctorate in mathematics at the University of Idaho in 1966.

An algebraist, William T. Fletcher has researched the development of structure theorems for associative and Lie algebras relative to their radicals. Currently he is working on a generalization of two known special cases of a theorem for Lie algebras of characteristic zero, which should contribute significantly toward bridging the gap in the known theory of two classes of algebra. The NCCU professor has said he sees mathematics as one of the greatest art forms.

Fletcher's professional career began in 1957 at LeMoyne (today LeMoyne-Oven) College in Memphis, Tennessee, where he served as an assistant math professor until being named professor and chair of the NCCU mathematics department in 1972. Though trained by pure mathematicians, Fletcher decided he needed to learn more about applied math to better prepare his students for the dawning digital age. For ten summers, he worked for corporations, such as IBM and Western Electric, and government agencies, among them the U.S. Departments of Commerce, Agriculture, and Energy. He has studied mathematical applications at Columbia and Princeton Universities.

At NCCU, Fletcher instituted a B.S. degree in computer science, making the university one of North Carolina's first historically black colleges to offer this program. He also created a distinguished alumni lecture series, a learning center designed to improve students' performance in math courses, and a departmental speaker's bureau. He has led summer institutes for science and math teachers. Under Fletcher's leadership, he and his departmental colleagues have travelled across the state to public schools to talk about career opportunities in the mathematical sciences and to conduct hands-on computer demonstrations.

Fletcher has written articles for professional journals, given presentations at meetings and educational institutions, and holds membership in several fraternities. To honor his teacher Marjorie Lee Browne, he established an annual scholarship for an outstanding math student at NCCU. He received the university's teacher of the year award in 1970. When asked why he did not leave teaching for more lucrative opportunities, Fletcher said he has always wanted to nurture, motivate, and inspire studentsparticularly minority and women students-to succeed.

Since retiring from NCCU in 1997, William Fletcher has been actively involved in serving on boards and charitable organizations in his hometown of Durham.



Fine Arts

S. Tucker Cooke

As a child in Newberry, Florida,-S. Tucker Cooke was fascinated by the "chalk talks" at the Baptist church founded by his grandfather, where people taught Bible stories by illustrating them with simple line drawings on a chalkboard. The experience sparked his interest in a career that used his love of drawing as a way of communicating personal insights. For his work as an artist and a teacher, S. Tucker Cooke receives the 2000 North Carolina Award in Fine Arts.

Cooke earned a B.A. in art at Stetson University and an M.F.A. in printmaking and painting from the University of Georgia. He came to Asheville to teach in the fledgling art department at AshevilleBiltmore College in 1966. In 1969 the college became part of the University of North Carolina system and Cooke soon became the chair of the art department. In that role he instituted an innovative faculty mentoring program.

For over thirty years he has continued to explore new media, recently studying sculpture and watercolor. The UNC-Asheville professor has produced a large body of work, which has been shown in galleries and juried exhibitions across the Southeast. His artworks range from paintings that juxtapose realistically rendered people and animals layered in dreamlike images to multimedia installations combining sculpture and spoken words.

"It is interesting how important sight is, and how unimportant the development of `learning to see' is in the education of children," says Cooke. "It would be unheard of for a student to not be given special attention if they could not read or write, but when students can't draw or see, it is assumed that they just don't have the talent for it. Art is as much about hard work and learning as any other process."

Cooke's passion for teaching also extends to incorporating art into the community. He developed several art projects for St. Joseph's Hospital and the city of Asheville, allowing students the opportunity to create and produce a piece of public art. The Asheville Urban Trail is a 1.6 mile long walking trail within the original city limits that explores the city's history and architecture. Cooke has taken part in the design, commissioning, production, and installation of artworks incorporated into the trail system.

The Mint Museum of Art in Charlotte, WorldVision Enterprise in New York, the Honolulu Academy of Arts, and the Gruenwald Center for the Graphic Arts in Los Angeles are among the collections that have pieces by Tucker Cooke. In North Carolina his work has been exhibited at Appalachian State University and Davidson College. Cooke has had solo exhibitions at the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art in Winston-Salem, Somerhill Gallery in Chapel Hill, the Roanoke Fine Arts Center in Virginia, and Stetson University, his alma mater in Florida. His awards includes the 1997 Board of Governors Award for Excellence in Teaching and the North Carolina Arts Council Purchase Award for the "Realism in North Carolina" juried exhibition at the Mint Museum of Art.

Asheville is rendered a far livelier and more stimulating environment for the contributions of S. Tucker Cooke.



Literature

William S. Powell

Every reader of Tar Heel history has encountered the work of William S. Powell, dean of North Carolina historians. From major reference works to books and articles on topics as wide-ranging as the origin of the nickname "Tar Heels" and poetry dedicated to the Roanoke colonies, no other historian has done as much to tell the story of our state. For outstanding scholarship and a publishing career spanning six decades, William S. Powell receives the 2000 North Carolina Award in Literature.

Born in 1919 in Johnston County and raised in Statesville, Powell early demonstrated a love of history, sparked in part by his grandmother who told him stories of the Civil War. He attended Mitchell College for two years and then transferred to the University of North Carolina. After graduating in 1940, he entered the Army, where he served in military intelligence in the Pacific during World War II, rising to the rank of master sergeant. After the war, he returned to Chapel Hill to earn degrees in history and library science. A brief, chilly stint as a librarian at Yale University followed, but his native state beckoned.

In 1948 Powell became a full-time research historian at the North Carolina Department of Archives and History. Three years later he returned to Chapel Hill as the assistant librarian of the North Carolina Collection. Promoted to curator in 1958, he helped build the emier research collection on the state's history. In 1973 he became professor of history at the university, teaching over 6,000 students before his retirement in 1986. He has volunteered his service on nearly every important historical board or association in the state, including the North Carolina Historical Commission (which he currently chairs), the North Carolina Literary and Historical Association, the 4001h Anniversary Committee, the editorial board of the North Carolina Historical Review, and the Historical Society of North Carolina.

Powell's most important contributions are the basic reference volumes he has written and edited, the foundation works of any reference collection on North Carolina history. The North Carolina Gazetteer (1968) is a geographical dictionary, listing the names, founding date, and a snippet of history on every place of note in the state. The Dictionary of North Carolina Biography (1979-1996) spans six volumes and almost 4,000 biographies of people who made a significant contribution to North Carolina history. Over the course of thirty years, Powell collected and edited entries from volunteers, penning hundreds himself. His North Carolina Through Four Centuries (1989) is now a standard college textbook. The breadth and quantity of his writings are unmatched and include documentary volumes on the Regulators and William Tryon, an illustrated history of UNC, a biography of John Pory, and a history of Caswell County. Currently, Powell is editing The Encyclopedia of North Carolina, scheduled for publication in 2002, and an antebellum historical novel. The catalog at UNCChapel Hill lists 112 books and articles by Powell. Former UNC President William Friday observed, "He remains unchallenged as the most prolific living writer of North Carolina history."

William S. Powell and his wife Virginia, who has capably assisted on each of his research projects, live in Chapel Hill. They have three children and eleven grandchildren.



Public Service

Henry Bowers

As self-effacing as he is dedicated, Henry Bowers is the model civic leader. His devotion to the arts and humanities, ability to both lead and serve, and generous spirit have inspired all who have worked with him over the past half century. For his commitment to the state and the community, exemplified by his contributions toward improving the cultural climate through a host of organizations, Henry Bowers receives the 2000 North Carolina Award in Public Service.

Born in Tampa, Florida, Henry Bowers attended the University of North Carolina, graduating with a B.A. in American history in 1952. After two years in the Navy, he earned an MA. in American history from Columbia University in 1956. Briefly an executive with Alcoa, Bowers joined North Carolina State University in 1957 as assistant director of student activities. He remained there until retiring as associate vice chancellor for student affairs in 1987.

While at N.C. State, Bowers was instrumental in creating the Friends of the College and directing it for twenty-six years. The largest performing arts series of its kind in the country, the program sold as many as 19,000 subscriptions for a single season. Bowers also administered the student center, a crafts center and gallery, two theater programs, and a music program. Through his leadership, North Carolina State University, a land-grant institution, created a range of cultural programs envied by many liberal arts institutions.

After retiring Henry Bowers was named executive director of the Capital Area Arts Foundation in Raleigh in 1987. By the time he left in 1991, the foundation had become a leading advocate for arts education and the focal point for area artists and arts organizations, increasing communication between these organizations. After merging with the Wake County Arts Council, it was renamed the United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County.

In 1964 Governor Terry Sanford appointed Henry Bowers to the original North Carolina Arts Council board; in 1972 he became its vice-chairman. Mary Regan, Arts Council executive director, calls Bowers "the unsung hero of North Carolina's public art support structure." During his tenure, Bowers played a leading role in creating the nationally acclaimed Visiting Artists program. He helped found the state's first lobbying group for the arts-Arts Advocates of North Carolina-and served on that organization's board, plus various panels of the National Endowment for the Arts.

From 1980 to 1986 Bowers was a member of the Southern Arts Federation board. In the early and mid-eighties he assisted in reorganizing the North Carolina Symphony. He has long been involved with the Mordecai Square Historical Society and volunteers his time with the new Raleigh City Museum. He has worked with the Raleigh's Community Learning Centers, which provide educational programs for young people in public housing.

ARTS NC STATE, the visual and performing arts programs at North Carolina State University, created the Bowers Medal of Arts in May 2000. The medal will be given to individuals who have shown the vision, service, integrity, and commitment to the arts in the spirit of leadership provided by Henry Bowers.

Henry Bowers and his wife Sory live in Raleigh. They have two daughters, two sons, and four grandchildren.



Public Service

James F. Goodmon

James F. Goodmon identifies himself upfront as a broadcaster but his interests, time, and resources extend to baseball, opera, early childhood education, and regional development. A man with a unique ability to look beyond the limitations of the moment, he consistently seeks better ways to do business and improve his state. For his ability to envision what might be, to surmount any obstacles, and to lead the state along the path to a brighter tomorrow, James F. Goodmon receives the 2000 North Carolina Award in Public Service.

Circumstances (his mother's vacation) led to his birth in 1943 in St. Petersburg, Florida, but Jim Goodmon was Tar Heel bred, here in Raleigh. After attending Duke University, he served in the Navy in the early 1960s and then took a job as operations manager for WRAL-TV in Raleigh, owned by Capitol Broadcasting Company. Over the years, he moved up the company's ranks, becoming president and chief executive officer in 1979.

Throughout his tenure at Capitol Broadcasting, Goodmon has guided the growth of its radio and television holdings and steered the company into new technologies such as high definition television, satellite communications, and the internet. He has understood the potential for using these forms of communication to unite people in the region and across the state. His vision of regionalism led him to rally local leaders to build a new home for the Durham Bulls minor league baseball team. The classic brick stadium regularly draws capacity crowds from the entire Triangle and beyond. Durham and Triangle leaders have widely hailed his redevelopment plans for the American Tobacco property adjacent to the stadium.

In the spring of 2000 the A. J. Fletcher Foundation, which Goodmon guides as president, committed ten million dollars to establish the A. J. Fletcher Opera Institute at the North Carolina School of the Arts. The Institute will be named for Goodmon's grandfather, Alfred Johnson Fletcher, whose commitment to opera led to the creation of the Grassroots Opera Company and the National Opera Company. Goodmon and his associates have taken a family legacy and enhanced it for the ages by providing outstanding training and extensive performance experience for generations to come.

Goodmon's dedication to his profession and community is wide-reaching. He is on the board of the University of North Carolina Center for Public Television, the North Carolina Citizens for Business and Industry, and Communities in Schools. He is former board president of the North Carolina Partnership for Children, the organization supporting Governor Hunt's innovative Smart Start program. Widely respected for his business acumen and his philanthropic efforts, Goodmon has received numerous awards. In recognition of his achievements in advancing digital television, the industry magazine Broadcasting and Cable presented him with the DTV Pioneer Award in 1999. He received an honorary doctorate from Pfeiffer University.

"Being a leader is having a vision, and then working to make the hard decisions to make that vision come true," Goodmon has said. Such gutsy thinking defines this extraordinary, civic-spirited businessman's concept of leadership.

Jim Goodmon makes his home in Raleigh with his wife Barbara. The couple has a daughter, two sons, and a grandson.