S.C. Journalism Hall of Fame

The S.C. Journalism Hall of Fame was established in 1973 to recognize and honor men and women who have excelled in their craft and made significant contributions to journalism and their communities. Roughly 75 newspaper journalists – from the 1700s to the present – have been chosen by their peers for recognition.

The S.C. Hall of Fame began in 1972 when SCPA President William L. Kinney Jr., of Bennettsville, acting on a suggestion from Secretary-Manager Reid H. Montgomery, set in motion activities that led to the establishment of a S.C. Press Association Hall of Fame. The first Hall of Fame inductees were presented at the SCPA Winter Meeting in 1973.

Meet our 2023

Hall of Fame Recipients

Hall of Fame Nominations

Eligibility Requirements

Requirements for admission specify that a nominee must have made his or her journalistic reputation in South Carolina. If the reputation reflects achievements outside the state, the nominee must have been a native of South Carolina. Nominees must have been deceased for four or more years.

Nominations may be made by anyone now or previously employed by or associated with a South Carolina newspaper. Nominations not elected are carried over from year to year and considered along with new nominees. Nominations are received and acted upon by a Hall of Fame Selections Committee, appointed by the president of the S.C. Press Association.

Applications should include:

    • Nominee’s date of birth and death
    • Principal newspaper positions held by nominee
    • Major achievements and honors in journalism
    • Published works and other honors outside journalism

Citation required:

Nominator should prepare a 300-500 word citation suitable for use if nominee is chosen for the S.C. Press Association Hall of Fame. A photo should be included.

If you’d like to nominate someone for the 2024 Hall of Fame, materials must be submitted to Jen Madden by Dec. 1, 2023.

Hall of Fame Members

1973: Elizabeth Timothy (-1757) South Carolina Gazette

1973: Francis W. Dawson (1840-1899) The Charleston Mercury; The Charleston News; The News and Courier, Charleston

1974: Narciso G. Gonzales (1858-1903) The State; The News and Courier; Charleston Journal of Commerce

1974: Bony Hampton Peace (1874-1934) Carolina Spartan, Spartanburg; The Greenville News; Greenville Piedmont

1974: Peter Timothy (1721 – 1782) South Carolina Gazette

1974: Aaron Smith Willington (1781-1862) The Charleston Courier

1975: William Watts Ball (1868-1952) The Evening Post; The Greenville News; Laurens Advertiser; The News and Courier; The State

1975: Arthur B. Jordan Sr. (1876-1956) The Dillon Herald

1975: James Rion McKissick (1884-1944)Times-Democrat, Richmond, Va.; The Greenville News; Greenville Piedmont

1976: Hubert Graham Osteen (1870-1955) Watchman and Southron, Sumter; Sumter Daily Item

1976: Edward Hope DeCamp (1865-1952) The Gaffney Ledger; The State, Columbia

1977: Arthur M. Manigault (1851-1924) The Evening Post, Charleston

1978: Harold C. Booker Sr. (1888-1960) Spartanburg Herald-Journal; Greenville Piedmont; The Sumter Daily Item; The Columbia Record

1978: Charles Oscar Hearon (1876-1959) The Spartanburg Herald; Herald, Bristol, Va.; Times, Richmond, Va.

1979: Robert Lathan (1881-1937) The News and Courier, Charleston; The State, Columbia; Asheville (NC) Citizen; 1924 Pulitzer Prize Winner

1980: Tom O’Connor (1902-1969) Hampton County Guardian; Allendale County Citizen

1980: Louis W. Cassels (1921-1974) United Press International

1981: Robert Craft Peace (1899-1968) The Greenville News

1981: George A. Buchanan (1898-1976) The Columbia Record; Dean of Journalism, USC

1982: Robert M. Hitt, Jr. (1914-1968) Bamberg Herald; Charleston Evening Post

1982: W.W. Smoak (1877-1947) Press & Standard, Walterboro

1983: Wood Davidson Grist (1865-1925) Yorkville Enquirer; Atlanta Constitution

1983: Hall Thomas McGee (1889-1963) Charleston Evening Post; The News and Courier, Charleston

1983: Edmund A. Ramsaur (1925-1976) The Greenville News; Greenville Piedmont

1983: James Loyal Sims (1914-1962) The Times and Democrat, Orangeburg

1984: James Edward Chaffin (1913-1977) The Index-Journal, Greenwood

1984: Ambrose E. Gonzales (1857-1926) The State, Columbia; The News and Courier, Charleston

1984: William E. Gonzales (1866-1937) The State, Columbia

1985: William R. Bradford Sr. (1874-1957) The Fort Mill Times; The State, Columbia

1985: Elbert Herman Aull (1857-1929) The Newberry Herald and News

1985: Ernest Allen Cutts (1912-1980) Charleston Evening Post

1986: Noah Graham Osteen (1843-1936) The Item, Sumter

1986: Phil Buchheit (1907-1978) Spartanburg Herald-Journal

1986: R. Frank Mundy (1915-1982) The Index-Journal, Greenwood

1986: Samuel L. Latimer Jr. (1891-1975) The State, Columbia

1986: Harry L. Watson (1876-1956) The Index-Journal, Greenwood

1987: Robert Melvin Hitt (1886-1963) Bamberg Herald

1987: John Kelly Sisk (1913-1980) Greenville News-Piedmont

1987: Wilson William Harris (1889-1955) The Clinton Chronicle

1987: William Light Kinney (1902-1983) Marlboro Herald-Advocate, Bennettsville

1988: Talbot Patrick (1897-1980) Chicago Evening Post; The Goldsboro (NC) News-Argus; The Herald, Rock Hill

1988: Frank Wilmore Sossamon (1887-1979) The Gaffney Ledger

1989: Paul S. League (1920-1978) The Lancaster News

1989: Edward Manigault (1896-1983) Charleston Evening Post

1990: Edd A. Burch (1907-1985) Greer Citizen

1993: Hubert Duvall Osteen (1904-1987) The Item, Sumter

1993: Miles Benjamin McSweeney (1855-1909) The Ninety-Six Guardian; Hampton County Guardian

1995: Thomas Pettigrew Davis (1926-1990) Georgetown Times

1995: James A. Rogers (1905-1990) Florence Morning News

1996: William D. Workman (1914-1990) The News and Courier, Charleston; The Greenville News; The State, Columbia

1998: Joseph F. Smoak (1936-1993) The News and Courier, Charleston; Charleston Evening Post

1998: Marcellus C. Garner (1920-1992) The Sun News, Myrtle Beach; The Myrtle Beach News; The Myrtle Beach Sun; The Field, Conway; The Horry Herald; The Loris Sentinel

1999: Reid H. Montgomery (1909-1993) The State, Columbia; The Item, Sumter; Winthrop College; University of South Carolina; South Carolina Press Association

2002: August Kohn (1868-1930) The News and Courier, Charleston

2002: Annie Laurie Mayer Kinney (1902–1999) Marlboro Herald-Advocate

2003: Annie Howell King (1893-1973) Aiken Standard

2005: William E. Rone (1926-1998) The State, Columbia

2005: Alfred B. Williams (1856-1930) News and Courier, Charleston

2007: Dr. Robert Wilson Gibbes (1809-1866) The South Carolinian

2008: Felix Gregory de Fontaine (1834-1896) Charleston Daily Courier, The South Carolinian; Daily South Carolinian; New York Herald

2009: Robert Quillen (1887-1948) Fountain Inn Tribune

2010: Henry Timrod (1829-1867) Charleston Mercury

2011: William Gilmore Simms (1806-1870) Charleston City Gazette, Daily South Carolinian, The Phoenix

2011: Charles H. Wickenberg Jr. (1923-2004) The State

2012: Peter Manigault (1927-2004) The News and Courier, Charleston

2012: Benjamin F. Perry (1805-1886) Greenville Mountaineer; Southern Patriot, Greenville

2012: Robert Ashe Pierce (1928-2007) The State, Columbia

2013: Col. Thomas Bissell Crews (1832-1911) The Laurensville Herald, Laurens

2014: John Miller (1744-1807) The South Carolina Gazette and Daily Advertiser

2015: Samuel A. Cothran (1915-2010) Aiken Standard and Review

2015: Wilton E. Hall (1901-1980) Anderson Independent

2016: Henry F. Cauthen Sr. (1901-1977) The State, The Columbia Record, The News & Courier

2018: Lewis Timothy (1699-1738) The South Carolina Gazette

2019: John C. Shurr (1947-2015) S.C. Associated Press Bureau Chief

2020: Ken Burger (1949-2015) The Post and Courier

2021: Dean B. Livingston (1933-2014) The Times and Democrat

2021: John Henry McCray (1910-1987) Lighthouse and Informer

2023: Scott B. Hunter (1949-2018) Aiken Standard

2023: Louis Cody Sossamon (1921-2019) The Gaffney Ledger