Former WIS anchor among 6 inducted into Richland One Hall of Fame
COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) - Former WIS anchor Craig Melvin is among six people Richland School District One inducted into its hall of fame Saturday night.
"In this new era where ignorance is rampant, if not celebrated, and truth subjective, we need good teachers now more than ever before," Melvin said in his speech Saturday night at the hall of fame induction gala.
"You have no idea how special it is to be back," he said. "If I've achieved any modicum of success professionally, a lot of it has to do with Richland One. I love this school district and I love all the opportunities that it's helped to afford me so, it's cool to be back."
"I wanted to have an opportunity for success and come back and provide something and give back to my community, and I've been able to do that and it's been very satisfying," said inductee William Dukes.
The Inductees:
Craig Melvin, now an anchor with NBC News, is among the inductees. He is a 1997 graduate of Columbia High School and an Emmy Award-winning journalist who is co-anchor of the Weekend Today show on NBC, an MSNBC anchor and an NBC News correspondent.
William Dukes is a 1960 graduate of Dreher High School who is the owner of Blue Marlin Restaurant and Signature Catering in Columbia and founder and chairman of the Honor Flight of South Carolina.
Benjamin Dunlap is a 1955 graduate of Columbia High School who served as president of Wofford College in Spartanburg for 13 years.
Don Frierson is a 1969 graduate of C.A. Johnson High School who is the host of "The Urban Scene" on WGCV 620 AM, South Carolina's longest-running talk and information forum for the African-American community.
Thomas Sinkler Martin is a graduate of Booker T. Washington High School who was an educator and advocate for physical education and recreational programs for Columbia youth; Mr. Martin passed away in 1993.
Ronald L. Rhames is a 1973 graduate of W.J. Keenan High School who is president of Midlands Technical College in Columbia and is the first technical college graduate and the first African-American to hold that position.
The Richland One Hall of Fame was created to recognize graduates of Richland One schools and other persons throughout the district's history who have made significant contributions to Richland One, their communities, their professions and society as a whole.
Induction into the Hall of Fame is the highest honor bestowed upon individuals by the Richland One Board of School Commissioners. Seventy men and women have been inducted since the Hall of Fame was established in 2004.
The 13th Annual Richland One Hall of Fame Induction Gala was Saturday night at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center.
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