The Wofford College Alumni Association honored the 2018-19 men’s basketball team, three notable alumni and a college supporter on Saturday, Oct. 19, during Homecoming Weekend. At the same event, the Terrier Club recognized the contributions of an alumnus and the members of Atlanta Invitational Golf Committee.
- Pride of Wofford Award – Wofford’s 2018-19 men’s basketball team.
- Charles H. Gray ’72 Distinguished Service Award – The Hon. Costa M. Pleicones, class of 1965, former chief justice of the South Carolina Supreme Court, and now special counsel for Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd in Columbia, S.C.
- Distinguished Citizen Award – Dr. John W. Simmons, the first resident in the Family Medicine Residency at Spartanburg General Hospital, the first chief medical officer at Spartanburg Regional Hospital, and now instructor at Wofford.
- Rising Star Award – Tramaine Brown, class of 2011, external relations program manager on Apple’s Inclusion and Diversity Team in Washington, D.C.
- Distinguished Service Award – Atlanta Invitational Golf Committee, represented by Frank Herndon, class of 1980.
- Honorary Letterman Award – Barry Foy, class of 1966, founder of Britton Medical Inc., who was instrumental in the establishment of the Terrier Ball Auction and Gala, an event that celebrates its 20th anniversary this year.
ABOUT THE AWARD RECIPIENTS
The awards will be presented at a ceremony at 10 a.m. Saturday in the Papadopoulos Room in the Papadopoulos Building on campus.
The Pride of Wofford Award is presented to a member of the Wofford College Alumni Association who has brought honor and distinction to the college through outstanding professional achievement.
During the 2018-19 season, the Wofford’s men’s basketball team enjoyed its most successful season ever, winning a record 30 games on the way to the college’s first NCAA Tournament win. The team also set records for regular season wins (26), consecutive wins (21) and wins against Southern Conference opponents in a single season (21). The team ran the table in the SoCon regular season and conference tournament to claim its fifth NCAA Tournament bid in the past 10 seasons. For the college, this success also constributed toward record admission applications, an 86 percent increase in visitors to social media, a 364 percent increase in visitors to the website, 1.2 million Twitter impressions and $50 million in total advertising value.
The Charles H. Gray ’72 Distinguished Service Award is presented to a member of the Wofford College Alumni Association who has distinguished himself or herself through dedicated service and commitment to the college.
The Honorable Costa M. Pleicones, class of 1965, former chief justice of the South Carolina Supreme Court, now serves as special counsel for Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd in Columbia, S.C., advising clients on complex litigation and appellate matters. After law school, he began a 30-year career in the U.S. Army, during which he served as commander of the 12th Legal Services Organization and as a colonel in the Army Reserve. In 2015, he was elected chief justice after 15 years of service as associate justice. Pleicones has been a member the Wofford College Board of Trustees since 2013 and currently serves as secretary of the board.
The Distinguished Citizen Award is presented to a member of the community who has served a distinguished career and has contributed extraordinary service to humanity, reflecting honor upon both the recipient and Wofford College.
Dr. John Simmons is a man of firsts. Simmons was the first resident in the Family Medicine Residency at Spartanburg General Hospital (now Spartanburg Medical Center), the first chief medical officer at Spartanburg Regional Hospital and the first to propose and teach a course on health and the environment at Wofford. Throughout his medical career, Simmons has had an interest in spirituality and healing. After completing the program at Harvard University’s Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine, he has instructed hundreds of people on mindfulness and meditation, including Wofford’s Lifelong Learning students. At the age of 75, he teaches Health and the Environment at Wofford and chairs the Lifelong Learning Advisory Committee.
The Rising Star Award is presented to a member of the Wofford College Alumni Association who has demonstrated professional accomplishment and continued growth as an emerging leader in his or her community.
Tramaine Brown, class of 2011, has a knack for developing community partnerships – something he has done in his hometown of Spartanburg and in the nation’s capital. Brown is an external relations program manager on Apple’s Inclusion and Diversity Team in Washington, D.C., where he focuses on building partnerships within the community to create opportunities for underrepresented minority college students interested in STEM careers in technology. Prior to joining Apple in 2015, Brown served in the White House as associate director of scheduling and advance, helping First Lady Michelle Obama engage with communities across the country and world. At Wofford he initiated the Wofford Math Academy, a tutoring and mentoring partnership with Cleveland Academy of Leadership.
The Terrier Club Distinguished Service Award is presented to an individual or group for their faithful service and contributions to Wofford College Athletics and to the Wofford College Terrier Club.
The Atlanta Invitational Golf Committee was co-founded by Terrier baseball teammates, trustees and model alumni, Russell King, class of 1956, and Walt Sessoms, class of 1956. Through an annual golf tournament and other initiatives, the committee supports student-athletes on the Wofford baseball team through the Terrier Club. Representing the Atlanta Invitational Golf Committee is Frank Herndon, class of 1980 and committee co-chairman, along with Ed Wile 1971. Herndon played basketball for the Terriers and has been a member of the Terrier Club for more than 35 years. The Atlanta Invitational Golf Tournament, which celebrated its 25th anniversary this year, has raised over $1.5 million in scholarship dollars for Wofford student-athletes.
The Honorary Letterman Award is presented by the Wofford College Athletic Hall of Fame to a former athlete or coach who, by outstanding athletic achievement and service, has made lasting and significant contributions to the cause of sports at Wofford, the Spartanburg community, South Carolina and the nation.
Barry Foy, class of 1966, founded Britton Medical Inc. and led the company as president for 18 years. He was instrumental in the establishment of the Terrier Ball Auction and Gala, an event that celebrated its 20th anniversary this year and has raised more than $3.1 million in scholarship dollars for Wofford student-athletes. Foy, who was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon at Wofford, is a former Terrier Club president and Alumni Association board member. He is also a Terrier Club Board lifetime member and has been a loyal Terrier Club donor for 32 years.