Abstract:
The North Carolina Award is the highest civilian honor given by the state for a lifetime of achievement in the fields of public service, fine arts, science, and literature. The award has been presented annually since 1964. The award winners for 2003 are Etta Baker, musician; Jaki Shelton Green, author; Frank Borden Hanes, benefactor; James Baxter Hunt, Jr., governor; Mary Ann Scheer, artisan; and William E. Thornton, medicine.