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2010 Fort Mill Hall of Fame class is eclectic mix
[August 24, 2010]

2010 Fort Mill Hall of Fame class is eclectic mix


FORT MILL, Aug 23, 2010 (Fort Mill Times - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- The Town of Fort Mill has its next class for its iconic Hall of Fame.

Inductees for 2010 include John White Ardrey; Heyward Adkins; Anne Springs Close; Hugh B. "Mac" McCallum and J.H. "Hoss" Nesbitt. The Hall of Fame, located inside Town Hall, was created to honor those who helped -- and continue to help -- shape Fort Mill's legacy.



"We're very pleased with the next class," Fort Mill Mayor Danny Funderburk said. "You take a look at those names. All of those names were high impact individuals to the Town of Fort Mill." Nominees were announced during Monday's Fort Mill Town Council workshop. The inductees join last year's inaugural class, including Thomas "Kanawha" Spratt, King Arataswa Haiglar, Sgt. Thomas Lee Hall, Col. Elliott White Springs and William R. Bradford Jr. Both classes were selected from community nominations and narrowed down by the Hall of Fame committee before the group's recommendation was presented for consideration to the Fort Mill Town Council on Monday morning.

The council voted unanimously to approve the new Hall of Fame additions.


"They certainly deserve it," Councilman Larry Huntley said.

From the efforts of the latest class, Fort Mill is that much greater, town leaders said.

John White Ardrey, a member of one of the founding families of Fort Mill, served as "intendant" -- now equal to mayor. Ardrey, a soldier in the "War between the States," served as master of the Catawba lodge 56. He also served as a representative in the state legislature, according to a town document.

Heyward F. Adkins' accolade is attributed to his long-standing track record in public safety evident in his efforts to organize the town's police department. Adkins, who served as chief of police from 1954 to until his death in1964, started the school safety officer program and served as president of S.C. Peace Officers Association.

Anne Springs Close, no stranger to environmentalism, conservation, historic preservation and education, opened the Anne Springs Close Greenway. Additionally, Close created affordable Fort Mill housing, founded countless philanthropic organizations, restored the White Homestead as well as other structures, and served as matriarch of the Springs family.

The centerpiece of the family's business interests was the textile plant that was the town's main employer throughout most of Fort Mill's history.

In 1996, Close also carried the Olympic Torch.

Harold M. "Mac" McCallum, a noted Fort Mill educator and mentor to many youth, served as a teacher and principal for 28 years with the Fort Mill School District. McCallum, a recipient of the Rotary Club's Paul Harris Fellow, was named Fort Mill Man of the Year and Fort Mill Teacher of the Year. McCallum, involved in numerous town wide civic organizations, served as past president of the York County Education Association and S.C. Agriculture Teachers Association and named civic volunteer of the year by the Fort Mill Chamber of Commerce.

J.H. "Hoss" Nesbitt's nomination speaks to his tenure as an educator with the Fort Mill School District as well as his involvement in sports and public service. Nesbitt, a former Fort Mill High School principal, served as the district's top leader for nearly two decades. Nesbitt, who served in World War II, was a former president of the S.C. School Administrators Association and the S.C. High School League.

The former Fort Mill Town councilman and state representative procured the "Little Red Caboose" for the Fort Mill Chamber of Commerce to use. The York County Sports Hall of Fame inductee also was honored with the Order of the Palmetto, celebrating his lifetime service to Fort Mill, the Palmetto state and the United States.

"The Hall of Fame committee recommends induction of each of these deserving folks due to their influences on many lives and in many areas of Fort Mill and life in general. Thank you," the committee penned in a memo to the town council.

A banquet is planned to honor the inductees. The date will be announced at a later time.

To see more of the Fort Mill Times or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.fortmilltimes.com/. Copyright (c) 2010, Fort Mill Times, S.C.

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