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For
Release
Oct. 31, 2003
More
homecoming news
Alumni
association honors outstanding graduates
Schedule
of events
Honoring
alumni vets of the war on terror
Where
to park?
Himelright
Scholarship awarded
Three
to be inducted into Arland D. Williams Society
Three
South Carolina men will be inducted this weekend into The Citadel's Arland
D. Williams Society, which recognizes individuals who have distinguished
themselves through community service.
Arland
D. Williams, Citadel Class of 1957, is the ultimate example of service
to others: he gave his life in the icy waters of the Potomac River in
1982 trying to save five fellow passengers aboard Air Florida 90 after
it crashed. The society was created in 2000 and since then nine people
have been inducted. Membership climbs to 12 with the 2003 inductees.
This
year's honorees are:
- the late Joseph
D. Shine, '71, former attorney for the South Carolina Budget and Control
Board and the second African American to graduate from The Citadel.
- Frank E. Gibson
II, '69, president of Lowcountry Insurance Services in Beaufort.
- Retired Army Brig.
Gen. Joseph O. Lax Jr. of Greenwood.
They
will be honored at 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 1 during the homecoming parade
on Summerall Field. Maj. Gen. John S. Grinalds, president of The Citadel,
and Citadel Alumni Association Executive Director Mike Rogers will make
the presentations.
"These
men represent the best qualities of a Citadel graduate and serve as an
example for others to follow," Rogers said. "The Citadel and
The Citadel Alumni Association are proud to induct them into the Arland
D. Williams Society in honor of their dedication and hard work serving
others."
About
the Arland D. Williams Society 2003 inductees
Joseph D. Shine,
'71
Shine, who died Sept. 10 in Columbia, was the second African American
to graduate from The Citadel. He was a cadet captain on regimental staff
and distinguished graduate with a degree in history. He was commissioned
in the Air Force after getting his law degree from Harvard University.
Shine was city attorney in Charleston from 1976 to 1987 and then served
as South Carolina's chief deputy attorney general from 1987 until 1993
when he became the first legal counsel for the state's Budget and Control
Board. He remained with the Budget and Control Board until 2002. At the
time of his death, he was general counsel for the Savannah River Site.
Shine was a mentor to young people, past president of the S.C. Bar Foundation,
chairman of the S.C. Centers for Equal Justice board of directors, member
of the S.C. Cultural Visions Council and a member of The Citadel Foundation
board of trustees. He received the Order of the Palmetto in 1995 and the
Jonathan Jasper Wright award for trailblazing endeavors in 2002.
Frank E. Gibson
III, '69
Gibson is president of Lowcountry Insurance Services and owner of Gibson
Builders and Associates. He was a member of Kilo Company, on the senior
class board of directors, a member of the Summerall Guards and on the
yearbook staff. His community service in Beaufort and the state is extensive
and includes serving on the Beaufort County Economic Development Board,
the U.S. South Atlantic Fisheries Management Council of Marine Resources,
YMCA in Beaufort, Beaufort Chamber Commerce, Lady's Island Business and
Professional Association and Beaufort Rotary Club. He is a retired lieutenant
colonel with the South Carolina National Guard and recipient of the Order
of the Palmetto, the state's highest citizen's award. He also has served
as a football official for 32 years. Gibson also has been active in the
Beaufort Citadel Club, The Citadel Development Foundation, The Citadel
Alumni Association, The Brigadier Foundation, and he is a sponsor of the
annual Alumni Legislative Barbeque.
Retired Army Brig.
Gen. Joseph O. Lax Jr., '53
Lax graduated from The Citadel with a bachelor of science in chemistry
and went on to receive his master's from Boston University in 1974. Following
a career in the Army that included service in Vietnam, Lax worked as program
director for Lockheed Martin in Orlando, Fla. He has since retired, but
remains active in this Greenwood community. He is on the board of directors
of Volunteers in Medical Missions, organizing international humanitarian
medical mission trips for volunteer doctors, dentists, nurses and technicians.
Lax also is an elder and chairman of the building committee at Greenwood
Presbyterian Church, director for the Young Life affiliate, a faith-based
ministry outreach organization, and is a member of the Greater Greenwood
Citadel Club board of directors, Greenwood Rotary Club and Retired Officer's
Association. This year he celebrates his 50th class reunion.
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