After Much deliberation Official Nominees for Gaffney Hall of Success

      You don't have to scroll down far to see my original post on the Gaffney Hall of Success. I now have a link to Cody Sossamon's initial piece in the Gaffney Ledger about this initiative, and since my post my letter has been published in the Gaffney Ledger.

     I think the inaugural class will conist of 16 folks. I am nominating ten, for me at least no brainers. In this age of Trump, I have enough hubris to say matters will be suspect if this group is not in the first class.

   As I understand it new inductees will come annually but after this in the neighborhood of four, or as Delmar would see somewhere in the vicinity of Gee.

   If seven of my nominees make it, and it is a public event and not out of my price range including travel costs, I hope to be there cause God knows it is unlikely I will ever see them again in this lifetime in the same place.

    A Diverse Group and all well deserved in no particular order.

     1 Rahul N Mehra of Tampa Florida. Rahul is a GHS grad 79 on tennis team and the brother of my classmate of 71 Rajesh. A Doctor in Tampa Florida his Mehra Vista Clinic is known statewide for its good works especially with the mental health of Children. Rahul just last year was inducted into the Hall of Fame at College of Charleston.

    2. Jaime Bernanke. A photographer for National Geographic out of NYC he was in the HS beta Club with me. His First cousin Ben Bernanke was President Obama's OMB or some such. His High School English teacher was a Furman grad in  Dillon and recently profiled in the Alumni Magazine.

    3. Johnny Dawkins. A Gaffney Legend running back who helped ease High School integration staying on the football team in late 60s when most of the black players from Granard quit. Dawk went to Mars Hill and then film school at Southern Cal and wrote early script for Denzel Washington; and then Kareem Abdul Jabbar for the ABC After School Special Hero Who Couldn't Read.

   4. Joe Wrenn. Another football great of virtue and character, pastor of several First Baptist Churches including Sevierville, Tn and Summerville Ga. With Dawkins a nominee of Wayne Whiteside who told me in person the summer of 71

   5. Zack McKown. NYC architect. Cody has mentioned him and Bernanke so I think they are in.

    6. Andre Stanley. Another Sossamon Ledger Nominee with which I concur

     7. Sky Foster, GHS 73 cousin of Gaffney Olympic Hurdler Charles Foster Montreal 76 Sky is on the President's Council of South Carolina State and has been long term administration at BMW in Greer. BMW sent Sky to South Africa early days of Nelson Mandela. She went to a plant and said: Take these pictures down, my people can Read!

    8 Dee McElveen. Dale M Jaeger with her husband is CEO of one of the best Historic preservation concerns in the Southeast. Find the Website. It speaks for it self.

    9. Libby Mitchell. a 59 or 60 GHS grad and 63 grad of Furman she ran for Governor of Maine a few years ago.

    10 Jerry Shinn. Mid 60 GHS grad a progressive voice on the editorial pages of the Charlotte Observer.

    There are many to come, but I think this is 3/5ths of the inaugural class right here. Looking forward to how this plays out.