Gov. Easley and NC's First Lady present state's highest civilian honor

RALEIGH – Gov. Mike Easley and First Lady Mary Easley today presented 10 North Carolinians the North Carolina Award, the highest civilian honor the state can bestow. An awards committee selected the recipients from nominations submitted by the public. The categories included fine arts, literature, public service and science.

“These awards are our most prestigious civilian honor and are given to those North Carolinians whose contributions to the state are enduring and truly significant,” said Easley. “We are fortunate to live in a state with so many outstanding individuals who, through their leadership, their talents and their time, have helped make North Carolina a better place to live.”

Created by the General Assembly in 1961, the North Carolina Awards have been presented annually since 1964. More than 230 outstanding North Carolinians have been selected as recipients from citizens’ nominations from across the state.

The 2008 N.C. Award winners are:

SCIENCE: Maurice S. Brookhart -- Versatile, creative, internationally recognized; these are some of the terms used to describe chemist Brookhart. Admired as a teacher and mentor, Brookhart (or “Brook” as he is known to his friends) has brought distinction to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and to the state for his advances in organometallic chemistry and polymerization. For his rare gift for developing fundamental chemical insights and then transporting them into the realm of commercially viable industrial technologies, Brookhart receives the 2008 North Carolina Award for Science.

LITERATUREM: Charles Frazier -- Frazier looked to what he knew best, the mountains of North Carolina, to write his first novel, Cold Mountain. The epic masterfully evokes the Appalachians of the 19th century. With his much anticipated second novel, Thirteen Moons, Frazier again crafted a story rich in the heritage of western North Carolina that is intertwined with heritage of the Cherokee Indians. For extraordinary achievements that have immersed millions in the state that he reveres, Frazier receives the 2008 North Carolina Award for Literature.

FINE ARTS: Gerald Freedman -- Freedman, Dean of the School of Drama at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts since 1991, is known worldwide for his innovative directing and production of some of the world’s greatest plays. He has had tremendous influence on students and actors who credit him with shaping their careers. For his continued dedication to North Carolina’s students of the dramatic arts and in recognition of his remarkable career as a director and educator, Freeman receives the 2008 North Carolina Award for Fine Arts.

PUBLIC SERVICE: Ann Goodnight -- Goodnight is an incomparable advocate of visual arts and education. She has a distinct vision that enhances the quality of living in our state. Everyone who visits the North Carolina Museum of Art reaps the benefits of her work. For her dedication to education reform and art appreciation, Goodnight receives the 2008 North Carolina Award for Public Service.

LITERATURE: Margaret Maron -- The pride of Johnston County, Maron, once wrote short stories exclusively. But she mustered up the courage to tackle the novel form after discovering advice in an 1897 cookbook to young brides learning to bake bread: “Be not daunted by one failure nor by twenty. Resolve that you will make good bread and do not cease striving. If persons without brains can accomplish this, why not you?” Since that time Maron has produced 25 novels that have been translated into more than a dozen languages. For introducing readers from Prague to Bangkok to tar heel places and traditions, and serving through her prose as an unofficial ambassador for North Carolina, Maron receives the 2008 North Carolina Award for Literature.

PUBLIC SERVICE: James Grubbs Martin – Gov. Martin reflected on his two terms as North Carolina’s chief executive: “Being governor of a state is the best job in politics in the United States. No question. ... It invigorates you.” He credited his positive outlook to the people of North Carolina, noting “the great reservoir of good will” for the office. Martin’s personal “era of good feeling” coincided with the second term of President Ronald Reagan, and both men derived much of their personal popularity from the economic successes of the 1980s. For moving the Tar Heel state forward with major accomplishments in education, transportation, and economic development, Martin receives the 2008 North Carolina Award for Public Service.

FINE ARTS: Alexander Rivera -- (NOTE: Mr. Rivera passed away Oct. 23) “I had no idea I was involved in the making of history. To me, it was just another day on the job.” So says Rivera, a pioneering photojournalist with lifelong ties to North Carolina Central University. With the passage of time, more and more people have come to recognize Rivera’s work, images he captured as a working member of the black press covering the civil rights movement. For the witness he bore and the outstanding visual record he produced, Rivera receives the 2008 North Carolina Award for Fine Arts posthumously.

PUBLIC SERVICE: Dean Edwards Smith -- A lifelong proponent of human rights, Smith has championed racial equality both on and off the basketball court. He has lived by and shared his unwavering moral principles and positive outlook. In 36 seasons as the head basketball coach at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Smith built an exemplary program and led the Tar Heels to two NCAA championships, 13 ACC Tournament titles, 11 Final Fours, and 879 victories. For his lifetime of educating and guiding youth and for his steadfast support of social justice, Smith receives the 2008 North Carolina Award for Public Service.

PUBLIC SERVICE: Fred and Alice Stanback – The Stanbacks are galvanizing forces in the land conservation movement in North Carolina. Having generously supported protection and management efforts ranging from the rich mountain landscapes to the fragile coastline, the Stanbacks invested in the state’s present and future. For perpetuating a legacy of environmental stewardship, the Stanbacks receive the 2008 North Carolina Award for Public Service.