Fort Mill education Hall of Fame in works

Even before Fort Mill’s population began to surge with young families seeking good home values and even better schools, education has always been central to the town. Lifelong residents above a certain age will reminisce about a time when life pretty much centered around the Springs mills and the schools.

And that in part is what’s fueling the Fort Mill School District’s desire to launch an education Hall of Fame to honor those whose contributions helped put the district on the map. A committee began meeting last spring to start discussing and planning how to get a Hall Of Fame off the ground and the various options for what form it might take.

To some committee members, it’s not only an idea whose time has come, but may in fact be overdue.

“The Hall of Fame but may in fact be overdue.

“The Hall of Fame was one of the first goals that the (school) board and I had when I assumed the role of superintendent,” said Chuck Epps, a lifelong resident and Fort Mill educator who took over as the district’s leader in 2009.

“I am thrilled to see the idea come to fruition,” Epps said.

“I think it is important to honor the educators who have worked with the many generations of students to make Fort Mill the place that it is today – a wonderful place to raise a family and enjoy the high quality of life that is currently in place in the greater community, including Fort Mill, Tega Cay and York County.”

Most of the committee members are life-long residents who graduated from Fort Mill High, which for years was the district’s only high school, not counting the George Fish School that served African-American students prior to desegregation. A second high school opened in 2007 and last spring voters approved financing for a third.

“The purpose of the Fort Mill School District Hall of Fame is to honor graduates of the district as well as people or organizations who have contributed to the district’s long standing tradition of excellence,” said Jenny Overman, a spokeswoman for the Foundation for Fort Mill Schools, which is heavily involved in creating a HOF.

“I look forward to honoring the people who helped contribute to the betterment of the school district,” she said.

Speaking of the new residents pouring into the district, Overman said the HOF is an opportunity to connect them with the district’s roots.

“I also see the school district Hall of Fame as a terrific resource for the community,” she said.

“With many newcomers moving into town in recent years, and many more expected to come, the School District Hall of Fame can serve as a resource to those interested in learning about the district’s history and key contributors.”

School board Chairman Patrick White, who also grew up in Fort Mill, agrees.

“Due to the fact that I am a Fort Mill native and a product of our school system, I have a deep respect for the educators and leaders of our community that helped establish a ‘culture of excellence’ within our district,” he said.

“I believe it is extremely important that our current students and their families know about the folks who have had an important impact on our schools and who helped get us to where we are today. Kind of reminds me of Marcus Garvey’s quote, ‘people without the knowledge of their past, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.’ ”

White said he’s not yet compiled a list of who he might nominate for the HOF, but said two names come to mind who he hopes to see enshrined with the inaugural class.

“I would suggest that Harold and Phoebe McCallum go in a as pair,” he said. “I cannot think of any one individual who had more of an impact on our ‘culture of excellence’ than the McCallums.”

Epps said he hopes nominees represent all eras of the school district and that residents are enthused about participating in the process.

“I would hope people nominate folks who either have made a difference in their individual educational experiences or whose work has positively impacted the lives of several generations of Fort Mill students. I hope we have a good representation of Hall of Fame members from both the pre-1960 era up through today,” he said.

“As we grow the Hall of Fame, I hope the community will become involved and feel ownership in the process. Anything that engages the community in education is important and helps assists educators in doing our jobs. It takes all of us to raise the future leaders of the town and community.”

This story was originally published September 25, 2015 at 2:41 PM with the headline "Fort Mill education Hall of Fame in works."