South Carolina General Assembly

119th Session, 2011-2012

H. 5398

STATUS INFORMATION

House Resolution

Sponsors: Reps. Bales, Agnew, Alexander, Allen, Allison, Anderson, Anthony, Atwater, Ballentine, Bannister, Barfield, Battle, Bedingfield, Bikas, Bingham, Bowen, Bowers, Brady, Branham, Brannon, Brantley, G.A.Brown, H.B.Brown, R.L.Brown, Butler Garrick, Chumley, Clemmons, Clyburn, CobbHunter, Cole, Corbin, Crawford, Crosby, Daning, Delleney, Dillard, Edge, Erickson, Forrester, Frye, Funderburk, Gambrell, Gilliard, Govan, Hamilton, Hardwick, Harrell, Harrison, Hart, Hayes, Hearn, Henderson, Herbkersman, Hiott, Hixon, Hodges, Horne, Hosey, Howard, Huggins, Jefferson, Johnson, King, Knight, Limehouse, Loftis, Long, Lowe, Lucas, Mack, McCoy, McEachern, McLeod, Merrill, D.C.Moss, V.S.Moss, Munnerlyn, Murphy, Nanney, J.H.Neal, J.M.Neal, Neilson, Norman, Ott, Owens, Parker, Parks, Patrick, Pinson, Pitts, Pope, Putnam, Quinn, Rutherford, Ryan, Sabb, Sandifer, Sellers, Simrill, Skelton, G.M.Smith, G.R.Smith, J.E.Smith, J.R.Smith, Sottile, Southard, Spires, Stavrinakis, Stringer, Tallon, Taylor, Thayer, Toole, Tribble, Vick, Weeks, Whipper, White, Whitmire, Williams, Willis and Young

Document Path: l:\council\bills\rm\1641ahb12.docx

Introduced in the House on June 7, 2012

Adopted by the House on June 7, 2012

Summary: Dr. Harry Benjamin Rutherford, Sr.

HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

DateBodyAction Description with journal page number

6/7/2012HouseIntroduced and adopted (House Journalpage4)

VERSIONS OF THIS BILL

6/7/2012

AHOUSE RESOLUTION

TO COMMEND THE LATE DR. HARRY BENJAMIN RUTHERFORD, SR., OF RICHLAND COUNTY FOR HIS SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY AND TO RECOGNIZE HIM ON THE OCCASION OF THE UNVEILING OF THE SIGN DEDICATING THE INTERCHANGE LOCATED AT THE INTERSECTION OF INTERSTATE HIGHWAY 77 AND SOUTH CAROLINA HIGHWAY 555 IN HIS HONOR.

Whereas, the South Carolina House of Representatives is pleased to note that the signage dedicating the interchange located at the intersection of Interstate Highway 77 and South Carolina Highway 555 in Richland County to the honor of the late Dr. Harry Benjamin Rutherford, Sr., has been unveiled; and

Whereas, for the multitudesof students, faculty members, and parentswho knew and appreciated Dr. Rutherford as an educator, this interchange and its sign bear quiet testimony to the many years of service he rendered to his community; and

Whereas, young Harry (called “H.B.”) was born to Harry Benjamin Rutherford and Carrie Jones Rutherford on July 14, 1911. His father died when H.B. was only three, leaving his mother to manage her late husband’s several businesses, all while raising her young son as a single parent in the early 1900s. Married in time to Dr. Everetta Sims Rutherford, H.B.Rutherford and his wife were the proud parents of two sons; and

Whereas, in preparation for his career in education, H.B.received his diploma from Booker T. Washington High School in 1928 and graduated cum laude in 1932 with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Johnson C. Smith University, which he served as salutatorian. He later earned his master’s degree from New York University and his doctorate from Harvard University; and

Whereas, Dr. Rutherford was a pioneer in the field of education in Richland County and South Carolina. During his career he served as a teacher and principal at Booker T. Washington High School, as well as principal of Carver Junior High School and Waverly Elementary School. Holding the top position from 1950 through 1964, he was the longestserving principal in the history of Booker T. Washington High School; and

Whereas, the City of Columbia knew Dr. Rutherford as an innovative, compassionate, sincere, and purposeful man. Committed to education and educational reform, he spent many summers traveling and learning about educational institutions and systems around the world and integrated the knowledge gained from his travels into the administrative and instructional curriculum at Booker T. Washington High School; and

Whereas, Dr. Rutherford also was a pioneering businessman in Richland County. He was one of the founders of the Richland Teachers Council Federal Credit Union, created in the basement of Booker T. Washington High School with the purpose of providing loans to AfricanAmerican teachers who could not obtain them from other lending institutions; and

Whereas, he took leadership roles in numerous professional, political, and civic organizations, including serving as president of the Richland County Teachers Association and Ward Two Democratic Precinct in Columbia, chair of the Credit Union Committee for the Palmetto Education Association, and leadership chair of the Central Boy Scout Unit of South Carolina. In addition, he was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity; and

Whereas, on November 20, 1980, Dr. Rutherford departed this life. Grateful for the inspiration his memory imparts, the members of the House of Representatives take great pleasure in saluting himfor his many years of devotion to the education of South Carolina’s youth.Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives:

That the members of the South Carolina House of Representatives, by this resolution,commend the late Dr. Harry Benjamin Rutherford, Sr., of Richland County for his service to the community and recognize him on the occasion of the unveiling of the sign dedicating the interchange located at the intersection of Interstate Highway 77 and South Carolina Highway 555 in his honor.

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be provided to the family of Dr. Harry Benjamin Rutherford, Sr.

XX

[5398]1