Former Rock Hill mayor Betty Jo Rhea earns Governor’s Awards honor
Former Rock Hill mayor Betty Jo Rhea is one of four recipients of this year’s annual Governor’s Awards in the Humanities.
Elizabeth Josephine Rhea, who served for 12 years as Rock Hill’s first female mayor in the 1980s and 1990s, will receive her award at an Oct. 19 luncheon at the Hilton Columbia Center in Columbia.
Other winners are Karen Alexander, CEO of Columbia-based Auntie Karen Foundation; Orville Vernon Burton, historian and author; and Dixie Goswami, literacy education researcher.
The Governor’s Awards in the Humanities recognize achievements in humanities research, participation in community-based programs, as well as other criteria. So far, 74 awards have been presented from 1991-2016.
Rhea chaired Rock Hill’s Parks and Recreation Commission before serving eight years on the city council.
Tickets to attend the luncheon are available at schumanities.org.
David Thackham: 803-329-4066, @dthackham
This story was originally published September 23, 2017 at 12:18 PM with the headline "Former Rock Hill mayor Betty Jo Rhea earns Governor’s Awards honor."