History of the North Carolina Awards
On June 22, 1961, the General Assembly established the North Carolina Awards, the highest civilian honor the State of North Carolina can bestow. According to the legislation, called General Statute 140A-2:
[t]hese recognitions shall be known as the North Carolina Awards for Literature, Science, the Fine Arts and Public Service, and shall be conferred upon citizens of North Carolina for the most notable attainments in these respective fields during the current year, terminating four months before the date of award, though such distinctions can be exceptionally conferred, with the approval of the Governor and the Council of State, for eminence achieved during years prior to the award. 1961 Session Laws, pages 1572-1573.
The first medals were awarded in 1964 to five recipients. Up to six awards may be presented each year.
Since its inception, more than 250 notable men and women have been honored by the state of North Carolina. Recipients include William Friday, Romare Bearden, James Taylor, Gertrude Elion, John Hope Franklin, David Brinkley, Maya Angelou, Billy Graham, Branford Marsalis, Loretta Lynch, and Philip Freelon.
Nominations may be submitted by anyone, with final decisions made by the NC Awards Committee, comprised of five gubernatorial appointees. Recipients are typically honored during a ceremony that takes place each fall. The North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources administers the award program.
View the ceremony programs by year in the NC Digital Collections.
About the Medals
The North Carolina Award medals were designed by the sculptor Paul Manship, one of his last commissions before his death in 1966 at the age of 81. Each medal is 2 ¾ inches in diameter. It is intended to be worn on a red, white, and blue ribbon around the neck. The first medals were made of fourteen karat gold, although the mineral content has changed over the years to 10 karat gold (1974-1979) and gold-plated silver (1980-today).
Alphabetical List of Medal Winners
Abbott, Anthony A. Literature, 2015 Adcock, Betty. Literature, 1996 Ammons, A.R. Literature, 1986 Aneja, Viney. Science, 2007 Angelou, Maya. Literature, 1987 Anlyan, William. Science, 2002 Applewhite, James. Literature, 1995 Atala, Anthony. Science, 2015 Baker, Etta. Fine Arts, 2003 Barber, William J, II, Rev. Dr. Public Service, 2019 Baric, Ralph S. Science, 2020 Barrax, Gerald. Literature, 2009 Bath, Joanne. Fine Arts, 1996 Bathanti, Joseph. Literature, 2016 Bauer, Margaret Donovan. Literature, 2017 Bayes, Ronald. Literature, 1989 Bearden, Romare. Fine Arts, 1976 Bennett, Betsy M. Public Service, 2014 Betts, Doris. Literature, 1975 Bevington, Helen Smith. Literature, 1973 Biggers, John. Fine Arts, 1995 Birnbaum, Linda S. Science, 2016 Blackmer, Sidney. Fine Arts, 1972 Blakeslee, Sarah. Fine Arts, 1994 Bowers, Henry. Public Service, 2000 Boyles, Harlan E. Public Service, 2000 Bringle, Cynthia. Fine Arts, 2002 Brinkhous, Kenneth. Science, 1969 Brinkley, David. Public Service, 1988 Britt, W. Earl. Public Service, 2019 Brodie, H. Keith. Science, 1990 Brookhart, Maurice. Science, 2008 Brown, Robert J. Public Service, 2016 Brown, William. Fine Arts, 1991 Broyhill, James T. Public Service, 2015 Bruck, Robert. Science, 1997 Bryan, Joseph. Public Service, 1986 Bryan, Jr., Joseph M. Public Service, 2005 Burke, Selma. Fine Arts, 1982 Byer, Kathryn Stripling. Literature, 2001 Caldwell, John. Public Service, 1987 Carroll, F. Ivy. Science, 2010 Cashion, Jerry C. Public Service, 2007 Chambers, Julius L. Public Service, 2002 Chappell, Fred. Literature, 1980 Chase, Nancy. Public Service, 1982 Church, Eric. Fine Arts, 2022 Clayton, Eva. Public Service, 2022 Coates, Albert. Public Service, 1967 Cochrane, William. Public Service, 1992 Cockerham, C. Clark. Science, 1976 Cohen, Myron S. Science, 2013 Coleman, Carolyn Q. Public Service, 2018 Collins, Francis S. Science, 2020 Colvard, Dean. Public Service, 1990 Cooke, S. Tucker. Fine Arts, 2000 Corbett, Kizzmekia S, Dr. Science, 2020 Couch, John. Science, 1964 Cowling, Ellis. Science, 1973 Cox, Joe. Fine Arts, 1993 Cram, John E. Fine Arts, 2013 Cuatrecasas, Pedro. Science, 1988 Dalton, Mary & Harry. Fine Arts, 1983 Daniels, Jonathan. Literature, 1967 Daniels, Julia Jones. Public Service, 1999 Daniels Jr., Frank. Public Service, 1999 David Jr., Edward. Science, 1972 Davidson, Jan. Fine Arts, 2007 Davis, Archie. Public Service, 1979 Davis, Burke. Literature, 1973 Davis, Charles (Chuck). Fine Arts, 1992 deButts, John. Public Service, 1979 Delhom, M. Mellanay. Fine Arts, 1997 Denny Jr, Floyd. Science, 1982 DeSimone, Joseph M. Science, 2009 Dole, Elizabeth. Public Service, 1991 Dykeman, Wilma. Literature, 1985 Eaton, Charles. Literature, 1988 Ebendorf, Robert W. Fine Arts, 2010 Edgell, Marshall. Science, 1994 Edgerton, Clyde. Literature, 1997 Ehle, John. Literature, 1972 Ehle, Rosemary Harris. Fine Arts, 2007 Eliel, Ernest. Science, 1986 Elion, Gertrude. Science, 1989 Ervin, Samuel J. Public Service, 1973 Etchells, John. Science, 1975 Ethridge, Willie Snow. Literature, 1982 Fields, William. Fine Arts, 1974 Finlator, W.W. Public Service, 2001 Fitz-Simons, Foster. Fine Arts, 1976 Fletcher, Inglis. Literature, 1964 Fletcher, William. Science, 2000 Flood, Dudley E. Public Service, 2021 Franklin, John Hope. Literature, 1993 Frazier, Charles. Literature, 2008 Freedman, Gerald. Fine Arts, 2008 Freelon, Philip G. Fine Arts, 2017 Friday, William. Public Service, 1975 Fridovich, Irwin. Science, 1985 Frye, Henry. Public Service, 2007 Gardner, James C. Public Service, 2016 Garvey Jr., Robert. Public Service, 1978 Gatewood, Maud. Fine Arts, 1984 Gerard, Philip. Literature, 2019 Gibbons, Kaye. Literature, 1998 Gilmore, Voit. Public Service, 2004 |
Golden, Harry. Literature, 1979 Goodmon, James. Public Service, 2000 Goodnight, Ann. Public Service, 2008 Gordy, Walter. Science, 1979 Gottschalk, Carl. Science, 1967 Graham, Billy. Public Service, 1967 Graham, Frank Porter. Public Service 1965 Gray, Robert. Fine Arts, 1998 Green, Jaki Shelton. Literature, 2003 Green, Paul. Literature, 1965 Griffith, Andy. Fine Arts, 1984 Gurganus, Allan. Literature, 1999 Guthrie, Frank. Science, 1983 Hamner Jr., Charles E. Public Service, 2011 Handler, Philip. Science, 1970 Hanes, Frank Borden. Public Service, 2003 Hanes Jr., J. Gordon. Public Service, 1985 Hanes Jr., R. Philip. Fine Arts, 1982 Hardy, Martha Nell. Fine Arts, 2002 Hart, John. M. H., Jr. Literature, 2013 Harrelson, Walter J. Literature, 2004 Harris, Bernice Kelly. Literature, 1966 Hearn Jr., Thomas. Public Service, 2006 Herring, William Dallas. Public Service, 1972 Hill, George Watts. Public Service, 1984 Hill, Robert. Science, 1984 Hitchings, George. Science, 1980 Hodges, Luther. Public Service, 1966 Holshouser Jr., James. Public Service, 2006 Holt, David. Fine Arts, 2021 Horton, Frank. Fine Arts, 1999 Hotelling, Harold. Science, 1972 Howell, Claude. Fine Arts, 1985 Humber, Robert Lee. Public Service, 1968 Hunt, Betty Debnam. Public Service, 2005 Hunt Jr., James Baxter. Public Service, 2003 Hutchison III, Clyde. Science, 1995 Ingram, Robert A. Public Service, 2014 Jackson, Herb. Fine Arts, 1999 James, A. Everette Jr. Fine Arts, 2015 Janty, R.K.M. Science, 2017 Jenrette, Richard. Public Service, 1994 Johnson, Gerald. Literature, 1965 Johnson, Hunter. Fine Arts, 1965 Jones, H. G. Public Service, 2002 Jones, Mary Ellen. Science, 1991 Jordan III, Robert. Public Service, 2001 Kamphoefner, Henry. Fine Arts, 1978 Kellenberger, May G.L. Public Service, 1969 Kenan, Frank. Public Service, 1990 Kenan, Randall. Literature, 2005 Kenan III, Thomas. Public Service, 1997 Kirk, Phillip J., Jr. Public Service, 2013 Kishnani, Priya, Dr. Science, 2022 Koontz, Elizabeth Duncan. Public Service, 1977 Kreps, Juanita. Public Service, 1976 Kuralt, Charles. Public Service, 1987 Lambeth, Thomas Willis. Public Service, 2005 Lancaster, H. Martin. Public Service, 2011 Lee, Howard N. Public Service, 2015 Lee, William. Public Service, 1988 Lefkowitz, Robert. Science, 1987 Leonard, R. Michael. Public Service, 2010 Leslie, Bill. Fine Arts, 2018 Leuchtenburg, William. Literature, 2007 Lindgren, Robert. Fine Arts, 1980 Linney, Romulus. Literature, 2002 Littleton, Harvey. Fine Arts, 1987 London, Edith. Fine Arts, 1988 Long, William Ivey. Fine Arts, 2004 Lucas, John Harding. Public Service, 2013 Lynch, Loretta E. Public Service, 2017 Mackay, Trudy F. C. Science, 2011 Madey, John. Science, 1992 Maron, Margaret. Literature, 2008 Marsalis, Branford. Fine Arts, 2011 Martin, James. Public Service, 2008 Matheson, Elizabeth. Fine Arts, 2004 Mayo, John. Science, 1995 McBride, Patricia. Fine Arts, 2015 McCain, Betty Ray. Public Service, 2009 McCall, Adeline. Fine Arts, 1981 McColl Jr, Hugh L. Public Service, 2009 McCorkle, Jill. Literature, 1999 McFee, Michael A. Literature, 2018 McGlohon, Loonis. Fine Arts, 1989 McKay, Martha. Public Service, 1996 Meredith, Jesse. Public Service, 1991 Merritt, Hiram Houston. Science, 1967 Meymandi, Assad. Fine Arts, 2016 Michaux, Mickey. Public Service, 2022 Miller, Heather. Literature, 1983 Millhouse, Barbara B. Fine Arts, 2018 Mitchell Jr., Burley. Public Service, 2007 Mitchell, Joseph. Literature, 1984 Mitchiner, Reginald. Science, 1977 Modrich, Paul L. Science, 2016 Moore, Dan. Public Service, 1980 Moore, Jeanelle. Public Service, 1980 Moore, Lenard D. Literature, 2014 Morehead, John. Public Service, 1964 Morgan, Robert. Literature, 1991 Morton, Hugh. Public Service, 1983 Murray, Royce W. Science, 2001 Narayan, Jagdish (Jay). Science, 2014 Ness, Kenneth. Fine Arts, 1973 Newman, Margaret S. "Tog." Public Service, 2010 |
Nicholson, Freda. Public Service, 1994 Niven, Penelope. Literature, 2004 Noland, Kenneth. Fine Arts, 1995 Odell Jr., A.G. Fine Arts, 1966 Owen, Guy. Literature, 1971 Pagano, Joseph. Science, 1996 Park, Roy. Public Service, 1989 Parker, Michael. Literature, 2006 Parker Jr., Roy. Public Service, 2006 Parr, Robert. Science, 1999 Patterson, Jane Smith. Public Service, 2017 Patton, Frances Gray. Literature, 1970 Pearson, Henry. Fine Arts, 1970 Peiser, Mark. Fine Arts, 2009 Pierce, Ovid. Literature, 1969 Pittman, Hobson. Fine Arts, 1968 Poe, Clarence. Public Service, 1964 Powell, William. Literature, 2000 Preyer, Emily Harris. Public Service, 1998 Preyer, L. Richardson. Public Service, 1998 Price, Reynolds. Literature, 1977 Proctor, Deborah S. Public Service, 2019 Ragan, Sam. Fine Arts, 1979 Rash, Ron. Literature, 2011 Rice, Oscar. Science, 1966 Riggs, Stanly, Dr. Science, 2022 Rivera, Jr., Alexander. Fine Arts, 2008 Roberts, Gene. Public Service, 2018 Rodbell, Martin. Science, 1998 Rooke, Leon. Literature, 1990 Roper, William L. Public Service, 2018 Rose, Charlie. Public Service, 2007 Rounds, Glen. Literature, 1981 Royster, Vermont. Literature, 1968 Rubin Jr., Louis. Literature, 1992 Russell, Charles. Literature, 1968 Sabiston Jr., David. Science, 1978 Saltzman, Marvin. Fine Arts, 1998 Sancar, Aziz. Science, 2016 Sanders, Charles. Science, 2006 Sanders, John. Public Service, 1996 Sanford, Terry. Public Service, 1970 Scherr, Mary Ann. Fine Arts, 2003 Schmidt-Nielsen, Knut. Science, 1999 Schopler, Eric. Public Service, 1993 Scott, Ralph. Public Service, 1981 Scott, Robert. Public Service, 1996 Semans, James & Mary. Fine Arts, 1971 Shapiro, Alan. Literature, 2014 Shelton, Henry. Public Service, 1999 Simpson, Bland. Fine Arts, 2005 Simpson, Vollis. Fine Arts, 2011 Sloane, Joseph. Fine Arts, 1977 Smith, Arthur. Fine Arts, 2001 Smith, Dean. Public Service, 2008 Smith, Lee. Literature, 1984 Smithies, Oliver. Science, 1993 Spaulding, Elna. Public Service, 1997 Spaulding, Maria F. Public Service, 2021 Speight, Francis. Fine Arts, 1964 Spencer, Elizabeth. Literature, 1994 Stafford, Darrel. Science, 2007 Stanback, Fred & Alice. Public Service, 2008 Stanford Jr., Charles. Fine Arts, 1969 Stannett, Vivian. Science, 1981 Stem Jr., Thad. Literature, 1974 Stephens, Stanley. Science, 1968 Stephenson, Shelby. Literature, 2001 Sultan, Donald. Fine Arts, 2010 Swalin, Benjamin F. Fine Arts, 1967 Swalin, Maxine. Public Service, 1989 Talley, André Leon. Literature, 2021 Talley Jr., Banks. Public Service, 1995 Taylor, Billy. Fine Arts, 1993 Taylor, James. Fine Arts, 1998 Thornton, William. Science, 2003 Thorp, Bo. Fine Arts, 2009 Thurman, Maxwell. Public Service, 1992 Timberlake, Bob. Fine Arts, 1990 Tynes, Harriet. Public Service, 1978 Tyson, Timothy B. Literature, 2021 Walker, LeRoy T. Public Service, 2004 Walser, Richard. Literature, 1976 Wani, Mansukh. Science, 2005 Ward, Robert. Fine Arts, 1975 Watson, Doc. Fine Arts, 1986 Waynick, Capus. Public Service, 1971 Weatherford, Carole Boston. Literature, 2010 Webb, James E. Public Service, 1971 Wellman, Manly Wade. Literature, 1978 Wheeler, Lawrence J. Fine Arts, 2019 Wicker, Tom. Literature, 1981 Wilfer, Catherine M., MD. Science, 2019 Wilkerson, Annie Louise. Science, 2004 Williams, Jonathan. Fine Arts, 1977 Williams, William T. Fine Arts, 2006 Wilson, Blake S. Science, 2021 Wilson, Edwin Graves. Public Service, 2002 Wilson, Emily Herring. Literature, 2006 Winston, Ellen Black. Public Service, 1974 Wolf, Frederick. Science, 1965 Wolfram, Walt. Public Service, 2013 Wood III, Ira David. Fine Arts, 2014 Woodward, James H. Public Service, 2017 Wyngaarden, James. Science, 1974 Zucchino, David. Literature, 2022 |
More About North Carolina Award Recipients
Biographical essays are available for each North Carolina Award recipient in the ceremony program for that year. Ceremony programs are accessible here in the NC Digital Collections.
A list of Black and African American recipients of the North Carolina Award can be found here on NCpedia.
15 August 2012 | Agan, Kelly; Rudersdorf, Amy