10 individuals, 2 organizations named to Raleigh Hall of Fame

The Class of 2015 is:

Prentiss became involved with the Salvation Army over forty years ago. He has had many roles from serving in the soup line to Chairman of the Advisory Board. He has also been an active supporter of the local Boys and Girls Clubs for over thirty-nine years in various capacities, including President of the local board and Chairman of the North Carolina Area Council of Boys & Girls Clubs.

Dr. Bob Bridges’ service to the City of Raleigh and its children began in 1961 after graduating from St. Augustine’s College. Upon earning a degree in elementary education, he was hired by Raleigh City Schools to teach fourth grade at Hunter Elementary School. In 1984 he became the school system’s first African-American superintendent. 

Cou is best remembered for saving Peace College in the 1950s from closure and as a Trustee member for over thirty years. He also contributed to his alma mater, NC State University, through his support of the Alumni Association, Wolfpack Club and the Friends of the Library which he helped launch in 1963.

In 1969, Raleigh City Schools offered Alice Burrows the opportunity to create a first-of-its-kind program for pre-school children with mental health problems. A firm believer that the pre-school years are the most important in a child’s development, she accepted. With an initial three-year grant of $300,000 she developed and shaped Project Enlightenment into a top notch resource for children from birth to age six.

For thirty-nine years, Rev. Arthur Calloway served the citizens of Southeast Raleigh as rector of St. Ambrose Episcopal Church. Under his leadership the church established after-school programs, provided meeting space for Alcoholic Anonymous, and provided grants for senior citizen programing all to the benefit of Southeast Raleigh.

Dr. John H. Gilbert devoted over twenty years to the citizens and children of Raleigh as an advocate for the public school system. In the 70s he became involved in improving the local school system by supporting the merger of the city and county systems in 1976.

For eighteen years as an elected official, first as a city council member then ten years as Raleigh’s mayor, Charles propelled the city into a vibrant, prosperous and healthy community which continually lands on “best of lists.” During his tenure as mayor, he returned Fayetteville Street to vehicle traffic oversaw the construction of a new $221 million convention center and increased the city’s parks and greenway system by fifty percent.

An artist, teacher, community volunteer and mentor, Bob has enriched the City of Raleigh through art. During his teaching career at area high schools, he was a favorite among his students. As a result of his love of teaching and art, he received the North Carolina Secondary Art Educator of the Year, and in 1994 he was named Teacher of the Year at Sanderson High School.

Many organizations and individuals have contributed to the revitalization and vibrancy of downtown Raleigh, but Artsplosure is at the top of the list. For the past thirty-five years, Artsplosure has brought the gift of art to the citizens of Raleigh.

Over fifty years ago, two men on their way to a meeting at a downtown church recognized the need to provide shelter to homeless men in downtown Raleigh. These men, along with five others, would eventually form the Raleigh Rescue Mission (Mission) in 1961.

Centennial Inductees:

Henry B. Delany was born an enslaved person on February 5, 1858 and died April 14, 1928 as a Bishop in the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina. Delany, a Georgia native, arrived in Raleigh in 1881 to enroll as a student at St. Augustine’s Normal School to study theology and music. After graduating in 1885, Delany immediately joined the school’s staff. He designed and helped build two buildings that are still seen on the campus of St. Augustine’s University: St. Agnes Hospital and the currently used Chapel that was built in 1895.

Dr. Henry Tupper was the Founder, builder and creator of Shaw University in 1865. Shaw was the first university established for African-Americans following the end of the Civil War and the oldest historically Black college in the south.