1939
Col. Robert Earle Kirtley, Feb. 7, 2021, Williamsburg, Va. Kirtley, who was the college’s oldest known living alumnus at the time of his death, served in the U.S. Air Force for 30 years. He was one of six test pilots who developed the P-38 Lightning fighter and flew the planes with the 27th Pursuit Squadron early in World War II. He became commander of the 95th Fighter Squadron, which he led in combat in North Africa in 1942-43. He then trained fighters and flew missions in Europe, including providing high cover during the Normandy invasion. He left the service but returned and served in Korea from day one of the war to coordinate United Nations air defenses. He also flew P-51s in combat and received the Bronze Star. His career ultimately led him to teach at the Armed Forces Staff College and later to the Pentagon, Harvard University and England as the personal representative to the Supreme Allied Commander in Europe. His final assignment was the Weapons Systems Evaluation Group in Washington, D.C. He worked for Serendipity Consulting after military retirement, eventually completely retiring to pursue his love of fishing, crabbing and golf. He was a lifelong learner who enjoyed mastering new skills, from rebuilding antique clocks and tying flies to home construction and cooking.
1941
Milton Maness, Feb. 9, 2021, Spartanburg, S.C. Maness was a B-29 bomber pilot during World War II, flying sorties over Japan from Guam. He later served in the Air Force Reserve, where he reached the rank of lieutenant colonel. He earned 14 varsity letters while at Wofford, three each in football and basketball and four each in baseball and track. He was a scout for the Boston Red Sox and had a hand in discovering Jim Rice, the 1978 American League MVP. He was a salesman for Crutchfield’s Sporting Goods before opening his own store, Maness Sporting Goods. He helped found Spartan Alarm when he was 72. He was the public address announcer for the Spartanburg High School football team for 46 years, stepping out of the box in 2007.
1943
Barney Monroe Hiers, Dec. 17, 2020, Bamberg, S.C. Hiers practiced law in Bamberg for 59 years and was the Bamberg County Veterans Affairs officer for over 50 years. He was on the board of the Bamberg Home Federal Savings and Loan Association and was the attorney for the City of Bamberg for 43 years. He was a World War II veteran in the European Theater, receiving the Bronze Star for his service. He was the past commander and adjutant of Bamberg County American Legion Post No. 39. He also was the past president of the Bamberg County Chamber of Commerce, Men’s Garden Club and Lions Club. He was the past district governor of 32-B Lions Club and was selected South Carolina Lion of the Year in 1974. In 2001, he received a certificate of appreciation from the governor for his many years of service to his community.
1944
The Rev. Eugene King Scoggins, Nov. 15, 2020, Bishopville, S.C. Scoggins was a minister of the South Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church for 39 years. He served as pastor of churches in Nichols, North Myrtle Beach, Woodruff, Kingstree, Bishopville, Walterboro and Batesburg. He retired in 1985. During his time at Duke University, where he earned his master’s degree in religion, he served as the school’s Blue Devil mascot.
1947
Harold Andrew McGuffin, Nov. 17, 2020, Columbia, S.C. McGuffin served in the U.S. Army from 1950 to 1952 as part of the Germany Occupation Force. After leaving the Army, he spent his career with the Internal Revenue Service, retiring in 1983 as the Southeast regional commissioner. In 1981, he was a recipient of the Presidential Rank Awards distinguished service as a federal civil servant.
1948
George Agnew Stone, Jan. 24, 2021, Columbia, S.C. Stone was a member of the Terriers baseball team and was a U.S. Army veteran. He was a salesman for Swift and Co. Meat Packers for 40 years and later for L.R. Brown and Co.
1949
Oren Raysor Judy Jr., Jan. 7, 2021, Spartanburg, S.C. After attending Clemson University his freshman year, Judy joined the U.S. Navy and served in the South Pacific before entering Wofford. He played No. 1 singles for both the Clemson and Wofford tennis teams. After graduating, he taught at Spartanburg High for two years before embarking on a 63-year career in the insurance business. He founded The Judy Agency Inc. on Feb. 1, 1966. He was past president of the Spartanburg Life Underwriters, the Spartanburg Chapter of C.L.U.’s, the Western Carolina Chapter of C.L.U.’s and the Spartanburg Estate Planning Council.
Lamar L. Keisler, Nov. 26, 2020, Aiken, S.C. Keisler served in the U.S. Navy as a dental technician. After leaving the military, he worked for DuPont at the Savannah River Plant for 41 years. He was an avid golfer, playing until he was 90.
The Rev. Robert Morris Wofford, Jan. 2, 2021, Spartanburg, S.C. Wofford, who received his master of divinity degree from Emory University, retired after 60 years of service. He served and was a member of Immanuel United Methodist Church in Wellford, S.C., for his last 16 years in the ministry.
1950
Walter Arthur Brown, Oct. 23, 2020, Easley, S.C. Brown was retired from Duke Energy after a 36-year career as a lab supervisor. He was a Marine Corps veteran who served his country during World War II.
Royce Nelson Gillespie, Feb. 1, 2021, Spartanburg, S.C. Gillespie was a U.S. Army veteran who served during the Korean War. He spent 36 years as a certified management accountant with Milliken and Co., first in Laurens and then in Spartanburg. He had a passion for woodworking and made many pieces of furniture that the family cherished.
1951
Windell McCrackin, Dec. 22, 2020, Myrtle Beach, S.C. McCrackin served two years in the U.S. Marine Corps before enrolling at Wofford, where he joined the Army ROTC. After graduating, he was commissioned and served two years in Korea in the 160th Infantry Regiment. After graduating from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1955, he went to work for the U.S. Attorney General’s Honor Recruitment Program in the Criminal Division of the Justice Department in Washington. He returned to South Carolina the next year to clerk for Federal Judge Ashton Williams in Charleston. In 1957 he moved to Myrtle Beach to become a partner in the law firm of Urner, Farlow and McCrackin. He later became a founding member of the firm of McCrackin, Barnett and Richardson. He retired in 2017 after 62 years of practicing law.
1953
Tony Izzi Jr., Nov. 2, 2020, Shelby, N.C. A Korean War veteran, Izzi attended Medical Field Service School at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, and was a dental specialist at Camp Gordon, Ga. He began a career in textiles in 1957 and was named executive vice president of DTI Yarns in 1984. He grew up working in the family’s business, Tony’s Ice Cream in Shelby, where ice cream was free for those in uniform and children who could not afford it.
1954
Robert H. “Bobby” Griffith, Nov. 25, 2020, Chesterfield, S.C. Griffith was a former supervisor with Chesterfield County Public Works and also a former assistant director with the Pee Dee Regional Council of Governments. He was a former member of the Chesterfield Town Council. He was a U.S. Army veteran and retired as a lieutenant colonel with the South Carolina Army National Guard. He was a past commander of Chesterfield American Legion Post No. 74, serving for over 19 years.
1955
William Madison Tucker, March 10, 2020, Greensboro, N.C. Tucker came to Greensboro from Emory University in 1961, where he joined the faculty of the English department in the Women’s College, which then became UNC Greensboro. He taught English literature and composition and co-taught a course on film as literature. He retired after decades in the classroom.
1957
Fred F. DuBard Jr., Jan. 14, 2021, Florence, S.C. During his Wofford days, DuBard served in ROTC, joined Kappa Sigma fraternity, became a Terrier cheerleader, chaired the Dance Association, sang in the Glee Club and played the washtub bass in a student-formed music and comedy group called “The Tennessee Dewdrops.” After graduation he served as a military recruitment officer for the U.S. Army and earned a master’s degree in counseling from the University of Tennessee. After leaving the military, he worked as a produce salesman in Charleston before joining Budweiser of Greenville. In 1972 he became general manager of N.B. Baroody Beverage Co., an Anheuser-Busch distributor in Florence. He purchased the company in 1989 and renamed it DuBard Inc. He sold the company in 2006. He served as president of the Florence Rotary Club and the Florence Family YMCA, as chair of the Coastal Carolina University board of trustees and for many years as a lay member of the S.C. Bar’s Commission on Lawyer Conduct.
1959
Marcus Carlisle Bethea Jr., Dec. 26, 2020, Dillon, S.C. Bethea was a comptroller for Mohawk Industries for many years. He was a U.S. Army veteran. Robert Wilson Osborne Sr., Dec. 24, 2020, Madison, Miss. Osborne served in the U.S. Army Reserve. He retired from Allstate Insurance after more than 30 years in operations.
1960
Max Gordon Poteat, Jan. 16, 2021, Spartanburg, S.C. Poteat was the former director of the Appalachia 3 Health Department, serving Spartanburg, Cherokee and Union counties. He also served on the Spartanburg School District 7 board of trustees.
1961
William Jerial “Judd” Lawing, Jan. 19, 2021, Hickory, N.C. A U.S. Air Force veteran, Lawing was one of the first servicemen selected to work with IBM computers on multiple bases. He began practicing accounting in the early 1960s and later opened his first accounting firm, Lawing, Rowe and Co. After retiring and a very brief stint in consulting, he established a new firm, Lawing, Matthews and Co., and continued to work until last fall.
1962
Joe Thomas Bradham Jr., Nov. 24, 2020, Cheraw, S.C. Bradham was the first member of his family to graduate from college, taking a job in the Wofford cafeteria to help cover the cost of his tuition. He began his career as a teacher and coach in Orangeburg’s District Five, and after earning his master’s degree and principal certification at Appalachian State University, he quickly rose through the district’s administrative ranks. He served as principal of Mellichamp Elementary School, Thackston Junior High School and Orangeburg-Wilkinson High School, where he was instrumental in guiding and supporting the integration of Orangeburg County’s school system. Bradham was appointed assistant superintendent of secondary education in 1979 and served as associate superintendent for administration until 1986. In 1986, he was appointed superintendent of Chesterfield County Schools, where he restructured the county’s public school system, overseeing a comprehensive building and renovation plan. After retiring from Chesterfield County Schools in 1996, he joined Moseley Architects as a consultant to help guide the firm in the construction and design of new school facilities across the Southeast.
Fredrick Howard Smith, Jan. 30, 2021, Winston-Salem, N.C. Smith spent four years in ROTC, and then served two years in the U.S. Army in Stuttgart, Germany. When he returned to the U.S., he worked in accounting for Liberty Life Insurance Co. in Greenville, S.C. He worked for Rexam Packaging Co. in Georgia, North Carolina and New Jersey until 1978, when he moved his family to Winston-Salem. There he worked for Archer Packaging Co., a part of Reynolds International. He enjoyed music, especially jazz, and attended the Newport Jazz Festival twice and Merlefest for 12 years.
1964
Robert Harrison Buchanan Jr., Jan. 31, 2021, Columbia, S.C. Buchanan worked in state government for more than 30 years with the South Carolina Commission for the Blind, as administrator of the C.M. Tucker Center and as director of the crippled children’s program with the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control. He held a master’s degree from the University of South Carolina and was a licensed nursing home administrator.
1965
Ernest Ray “Ernie” Allen, Oct. 27, 2020, Aiken, S.C. Allen worked for the Campbell's Soup Co. for 33 years, holding executive positions in Sumter, S.C.; Paris, Texas; and Aiken. He was manager of the company’s Pepperidge Farm plant in Aiken for 20 years and received the president’s award for his leadership in 1998. He served in the South Carolina National Guard from 1965 to 1972. After retiring from Campbell's Soup, Allen was the business manager for Millbrook Baptist Church from 2000 to 2008. He served on a variety of boards, including as chairman of the Aiken Manufacturing Council for 20 years. He also was chairman of the Aiken County Commission for Higher Education and served on the Aiken County Commission for Technical and Comprehensive Education. Allen received an honorary doctorate of humane letters from the University of South Carolina for his lifetime of work and leadership in higher education.
William Edward Dolson, Oct. 29, 2020, Marietta, Ga. A member of the Terriers football team, Dolson’s first job after graduation was as a teacher and head football coach at the Blue Ridge School for boys in Hendersonville, N.C. After three years in that role, he relocated to Marietta and enjoyed a successful 36-year career with Lockheed Martin, where he worked on a variety of projects, including the C-130 Hercules. He was a voracious reader, and he enjoyed annual trips to Kiawah Island, S.C., with his family.
Charles Hearon McCravy, Nov. 15, 2020, Spartanburg, S.C. After a brief internship at Milliken & Co., McCravy moved into banking. He excelled in commercial lending at the Citizens & Southern Bank in Spartanburg and in Greenville before leaving the industry in 1991. He was an original partner of the Capital Corp., and later joined Arthur State Bank before his retirement in 2018. An avid largemouth bass fisherman, he could often be found on his favorite local lakes of Blalock, Jocassee, Murray and Greenwood.
1966
Roger H. Henry Jr. Nov. 29, 2020, Hartsville, S.C. “Buzz,” as he was known, received the Outstanding Young Alumnus of the Year award from the Wofford National Alumni Association in 1977. He earned an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He spent his business career following various entrepreneurial pursuits, including as president of Caper House Inc., a chain of 100 convenience stores based in Greenville, S.C. He also served as president of the S.C. Association of Convenience Food Stores, president of the Greenville Chamber of Commerce’s Advisory Committee for New Business and as a board member of the Wofford National Alumni Association.
Harry T. “Hap” Witmer, Nov. 29, 2020, Columbia, S.C. Witmer was a U.S. Army veteran. After graduating he was a first lieutenant stationed at Fort Benning, Ga., and later became a flight engineer in Hialeah, Fla. He had a long career in chemical water treatment. Sailing and boating were his favorite pastimes, and he continued to enjoy them throughout his life.
1967
Johnny Babb, Jan. 18, 2021, Inman, S.C. Babb was co-owner of Service Paint Center Inc. in Boiling Springs, S.C. He volunteered with his wife, Jane, delivering for Mobile Meals.
Gary Robert Daves, Feb. 6, 2021, Columbia, S.C. Daves was a graduate of the University of South Carolina School of Law and was a former partner at Nelson Mullins Broad and Cassel. He also was a captain in the U.S. Army.
1969
Henry Smith Spann, Dec. 4, 2020, Anderson, S.C. Spann served as a U.S. Army Infantry lieutenant and instructor in the Infantry School at Fort Benning, Ga. After returning to civilian life, he became an English teacher at Belton-Honea Path High School and earned two master’s degrees from Clemson University. He scored AP English literature and composition exams for nine years and was a table leader afterward for 11 years. The final 10 years of his 38-year career were spent teaching English at Anderson University. He remained active in education after retiring, teaching lifelong learning classes.
1970
Harry Raymond Hucks Jr., Oct. 5, 2020, Santee, S.C. Before enrolling in Wofford, Hucks served in the U.S. Army from 1959 to 1966, reaching the rank of specialist class four and being appointed assistant to the base chaplain. He also earned a Good Conduct Medal for sharpshooting. He was retired from the American Red Cross and the South Carolina Department of Social Services.
Dr. Blucher Lee Linder, Nov. 25, 2020, Gaffney, S.C. Linder graduated from the Bowman Gray School of Medicine of Wake Forest University in 1974. After medical school, he set up his family practice in Gaffney with Dr. Charles Stroup. He worked at the Department of Vocational Rehabilitation from 1995 until his retirement in 2000.
John Kypros Polydorou, Oct. 25, 2020, Spartanburg, S.C. As a teenager, Polydorou joined the underground war against the British occupation of Cyprus, the island on which he was born. The island became independent in 1960. After a career in textiles in Spartanburg, in 1982 he joined New York Life Insurance Co. as a financial consultant. He earned several honors from New York Life and the industry as a whole and was a member of the Million Dollar Round Table for 27 consecutive years. He retired from New York Life in 2011. He was a member of St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and served several times as president of the board of directors. He founded the Greek Nite Celebration as a fundraiser for the church and managed the event for 25 years.
1972
Daniel Oliver Sutton Sr., Nov. 1, 2020, Rock Hill, S.C. Sutton served in the U.S. Army before beginning a nine-year career in banking. After leaving banking, he worked at B&B Distributors for 32 years as a general manager and vice president. He was owner/operator of Brands Party Shop in Rock Hill for many years, and served on the Rock Hill Housing Authority board for over 30 years. He was a former resident and later board member for the Boys Home of the South.
1973
Col. Richard Craven Webb, Dec. 27, 2020, Spartanburg, S.C. Webb served in the U.S. Army and Army Reserve from 1969 until his retirement in 2002. He held a master’s degree and education specialist degree from the University of South Carolina. He joined the Wofford faculty as assistant professor of military science in 1990 and stayed with the college until 1997. Before that, he taught and coached at Dorman High School for 13 years.
1974
John Pickens Gardner Jr., Nov. 22, 2020, Darlington, S.C. In 1976, he was, at the time, the youngest member of the S.C. House of Representatives and was half of one of only four father-son pairs to serve as representatives. After successfully instating the state Court of Appeals, he joined his father as the third generation Gardner to lead the Gardner Law Firm. He continued to serve the state as a commissioner for the Department of Highways and Public Transportation and as chairman of the Highway Patrol Committee. He was the author of four books: “Chicken Soup for the Entrepreneurial Soul,” “Living at the Summit,” “If You Are Me, Then Who Am I?” and “Bound in the Bible.”
Robert O. Purdy IV, Jan. 29, 2021, Springfield, Mass. Purdy worked in banking before spending the majority of his career at a variety of positions in the paper industry. He retired in 2013. A native of Sumter, S.C., he was active in scouting and became an Eagle Scout.
1978
Henry Lee Washington, Nov. 8, 2020, Clarksville, Tenn. Washington served 14 years in the U.S. Army, rising to the rank of major and completing his service in the forces command headquarters division artillery, 101st Airborne Division in Fort Campbell, Ky. He was an employee of the state of Tennessee for 27 years, where he last worked as the district investigations director.
1981
Ted Holt Walter, Jan. 20, 2021, Lake City, S.C. Walter was a Realtor and certified residential appraiser with Kirby Realty and Co. He was past president of the Lake City Rotary Club and a Paul Harris Fellow. He also served on the Florence County Board of Appeals.
1989
Donald Stephen “Steve” Kahler III, Nov. 28, 2020, Spartanburg, S.C. Kahler was a division manager and an officer at Waffle House. He was a member of the football team while at Wofford.
1990
John Ray “Tripp” Lee III, Feb. 1, 2021, Tampa, Fla. A U.S. Army veteran, Lee was vice president of sales at Frasier Tire Service. He was editor of the Old Gold and Black Wofford student newspaper, during his senior year.
1999
The Rev. Dr. Lawrence Robert Meadows, Dec. 9, 2020, Spartanburg, S.C. Meadows and his brother, NBC “Today” Show host and current trustee Craig Melvin ’01, were dedicated to raising awareness of colon cancer after Meadows was diagnosed with the disease in 2016. After graduating from Wofford, Meadows earned his master of divinity and doctorate in ministry from Gardner-Webb University. Meadows was the former president of the Tyger River Youth Association and former pastor of New Bethel Baptist Church in Woodruff, S.C.
FRIENDS
The Rev. DeArmond E. Canaday, Dec. 4, 2020, Greenwood, S.C. Canaday was a Wofford trustee from 1986 to 1999. He graduated from The Citadel before serving in the U.S. Army during World War II. He was a minister with the South Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church for 36 years.
Elizabeth “Anne” Thomas Greene, Feb. 11, 2021, Spartanburg, S.C. A native of Knoxville, Tenn., Greene graduated from Converse College. She worked for many years as the director of the Art School of the Spartanburg Art Association. She was the widow of Edward E. Greene, a former Wofford CFO.
Dr. Milton Kimpson, Jan. 30, 2021, Columbia, S.C. Kimpson received an honorary doctor of humanities degree from Wofford in 1983 and was a trustee from 1990 to 2002. He was the father of Milton Kimpson Jr. ’83. He was a graduate of Benedict College and a U.S. Army veteran, serving during the Korean War. He was a state supervisor of elementary education at the South Carolina Department of Education and later was appointed the first executive director for the Community Relations Council of the Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce. In 1979, former Gov. Richard Riley appointed Kimpson as the executive director of Health, Education and Human Services. He later was appointed to the state Worker’s Compensation Commission, later serving as chairman. He also served as an associate commissioner to the state Commission on Higher Education and as the deputy commissioner for program services at the South Carolina Department of Corrections before retiring in 1994. He received numerous honors and awards, including the Order of the Palmetto, South Carolina’s highest civilian honor; Man of the Year Award from the Manning Branch of the NAACP; Distinguished Service Award from South Carolina State College; Public Servant of the Year Award from the South Carolina Association of Minorities for Public Administration; and the Friend of Education Award from the South Carolina Education Association. He was recognized in the 2008 African American History Calendar, and in 2013, Benedict College dedicated the Milton Kimpson Center for Graduate Studies and Continuing Education.
H. Steve McManus, Dec. 31, 2020, Daniel Island, S.C. A graduate of The Citadel, McManus served in the U.S. Air Force from 1964 to 1970 and reached the rank of captain. After leaving the military, he joined Spartan Food Systems as the manager of Hardee’s Restaurant in Alcoa, Tenn. After a successful career with Flagstar and Hardee’s Food Systems, he retired and, along with Sam Maw ’56, purchased The Beacon Drive In in Spartanburg.
Elizabeth “Betsy” Boden McGehee, Dec. 6, 2020, Covington, Ga. McGehee attended Northwestern University and graduated from Transylvania University in 1961 with concentrations in English and history. She met her future husband, former Wofford professor Larry McGehee, at Transylvania. Later in life, she worked part time in the mayor’s office in Knoxville, Tenn., and at the Music Foundation of Spartanburg. She volunteered in numerous capacities everywhere she lived, including as a Girl Scout troop leader and candy striper. McGehee had a three-day run on “Jeopardy!” in 1965, when she was pregnant with her first daughter. She was famous for her hospitality, quick wit and affection for Wofford students.
James Croxton Spearman Sr., Dec. 26, 2020, Milton, Ga. Spearman played a year of football at Wofford before transferring to the University of South Carolina. He served in the U.S. Air Force, reaching the rank of captain. He had a long career in sales management in the life insurance industry, first in Chattanooga, Tenn., before relocating to Atlanta in 1971.