Abstract:
The North Carolina Award is the highest honor the state can bestow on its citizens. Suggested by Dr. Robert Lee Humber of Greenville and instituted by the 1961 General Assembly, the award recognizes 'notable accomplishments by North Carolina citizens in the fields of scholarship, research, the fine arts, and public leadership.' Robert Ward (fine arts composer), Doris W. Betts (literature), William C. Friday (public service), and John L. Etchells (science) received the award in 1975.