Nine individuals, two groups join Raleigh Hall of Fame
By: Thad Ogburn
togburn@newsobserver.com
RALEIGH A leading horticulturalist, a champion in fighting hunger and the only Raleigh native to be elected governor of North Carolina are among the 2016 inductees to the Raleigh Hall of Fame.
The hall, now in its 12th year, inducted nine individuals and two organizations during a ceremony Monday night in the Raleigh Convention Center.
This year’s inductees are:
- Bill D. Brittain, who founded the organization that would become Lutheran Family Services of the Carolinas in 1991. When Brittain retired in 2001, Lutheran Family Services was the largest nonprofit dedicated to youth and family services in the state.
- J. Melville Broughton, who was the only native of the Capital City to become North Carolina’s governor. After serving as governor, he was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1948.
- Jill Staton Bullard, co-founder of the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle and a champion for ending hunger in Raleigh and surrounding counties for more than 25 years.
- Mary Josephine Conrad Cresimore, who has served the N.C. Museum of Art for 50 years and been a leading member of the Raleigh Fine Arts Society for 48 years. She also is recognized for her efforts in preserving Mordecai Historic City Park and as a member of the National Council on the Humanities.
- Calvin Jones, who was the first physician in the state to inoculate people against smallpox. He established the N.C. Medical Society and was highly regarded for his work in ophthalmology. Beyond his medical career, he provided leadership in both the political and military arena, serving as Raleigh’s mayor in 1803 and as a representative in the House of Commons in 1807.
- Anne McLaurin, who has been active in promoting health care, children, affordable housing and community involvement throughout the city. She’s been a member of the Wake County School Board and has worked with organizations such as Wake County Health Services, the Crosby Clinic and Alliance Medical Ministries.
- J.C. Raulston, a former faculty member in N.C. State University’s Department of Horticulture Science. He founded the arboretum in 1976 than now bears his name and is visited by more than 100,000 people yearly and is a vital part of the Raleigh community.
- O. Temple Sloan, who created CarQuest Auto Parts, an auto parts supplier acquired by Advance Auto Parts in 2014, and who co-founded Highwoods Property, where he serves as chairman of the Board of Directors. He also has served for years with the Capitol Area YMCA and area Boy Scouts.
- Cliffornia Wimberley, a former teacher who made history in the early 1970s when she and fellow African-American Vernon Malone were elected to the Raleigh School Board. She was vital to the success of integrating the city schools, merging the city and county systems and bringing the magnet program to Wake County.
- Boys and Girls Clubs of Wake County, which first opened in downtown Raleigh in 1967 with fewer than 200 boys participating. It has seen continued growth, and in 1988 the club opened a center for girls, becoming the Boys and Girls Clubs of Wake County. Today, the clubs welcome 5,000 boys and girls annually to five centers in Raleigh and one each in Zebulon and Wake Forest.
- Triangle Family Services, which since 1937 has served as the safety net for families in crisis. It accomplishes its mission of “Building a Stronger Community by Strengthening the Family” through its three core program areas of Family Safety, Financial Stability and Mental Health.
Visit the Raleigh Hall of Fame for more information.