Past Recipients
James L. ANDERSON, SR.
Bench is located at the Camden Archives and Musuem
A native of Camden, James L. Anderson served on Camden City Council from 1960 to 1972 and then as Mayor of Camden from 1973 to 1984. After a four-year absence, he again served as Mayor of Camden from 1988 until 1992. Some of his accomplishments as the city’s Mayor include organizing the Camden District Heritage Foundation (which founded Historic Camden), the construction of a sewer treatment plant, and the award of $7 million in grant funds to rehabilitate parts of the city. Anderson also worked as a machine and welding instructor at Camden High School and was co-owner of Camden Machine Works. Additionally, he served on the boards of directors of the Criminal Justice Academy and the Junior Chamber of Commerce, and he was a member of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Training Council, the Masonic Bodies, the Santee-Wateree Regional Planning Council, the Alston Wilkes Society, and Gideon International. He was also a member of Lakeview Baptist Church in Camden, where he was a deacon, a Sunday school teacher, and a Training Union director. He passed away on December 22, 1998 at the age of 85.
DAVID T. JOSEPH, DDS
Bench is located at Monument Square Park, northeast section
Dr. David T. Joseph began practicing dentistry in Camden in 1953 and was the president of Joseph Dental Associates, located on Monument Square in Camden. A native of Georgetown, South Carolina, Dr. Joseph was a member of the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II and was involved in the invasion of Iwo Jima. He received his bachelor’s and graduate degrees from Georgetown University and moved to Camden in 1953 to begin his dental practice. He served as President of the Kershaw County Chamber of Commerce, the Pee Dee Dental Society, and the Mid-Carolina Study Academy, and he was a member of the Camden Lions Club. Dr. Joseph was also a charter member of the Kershaw County Dental Society and led efforts to fluoridate Camden’s water supply. He was a member of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church, where he served as President of the Catholic Men’s Club and as a member of the Knights of Columbus. He passed away on April 18, 1992 at the age of 66.
HENRY BENTHALL “BENNIE” MARSHALL, JR.
Bench located at Rectory Square Park, Fair Street
H. Benthall “Bennie” Marshall served as the Mayor of Camden from 1984 to 1988, during which time the city attained an “A” rating by Standard and Poor and an “AA” rating by Moody’s. He also supported improvements to the city’s recreational and cultural areas. Mr. Marshall also worked with the New York Life Insurance Company for nearly 40 years and served as President of the Kershaw County Chamber of Commerce. He also served on the Board of Directors of First Palmetto Savings Bank and was a member of the Springdale Hall Club. He passed away on February 24, 2000 at the age of 69.
PHILIP S. MINGES, JR.
Bench is located at the Camden Archives and Museum
Born in Charleston, Phil Minges came to Camden after World War II, to work on building the DuPont May Plant in Lugoff. After the plant opened, Minges moved to Operations and worked for DuPont for the next 50 years. During that time,
Served as Camden’s Mayor from 1992 until 2000.
AUSTIN M. SHEHEEN, SR.
Bench is located at the Camden Archives and Museum
A native of Camden and the son of a Lebanese immigrant, Austin M. Sheheen, Sr. served on Camden City Council for 12 years before serving as Camden’s Mayor from 1964 to 1972, when he earned a reputation as progenitor of Camden’s growth and progress. He also served as President of the Kershaw County Chamber of Commerce in 1964, as President of the Kershaw County Recreation Commission, and on the Board of Directors of the First Palmetto Savings Bank for over 30 years. He was a charter member of the Camden Jaycees and served as business manager of the old semi-pro baseball team, the Palmetto Ball Club. Professionally, he built a reputable filling station business before retiring in 1974. He passed away on January 5, 2000 at the age of 88.
PAUL A. WOOD, M.D.
Bench is located at Monument Square Park, southwest section
The son of a Methodist minister who lived in small towns throughout South Carolina, Dr. Wood came to Camden in 1956 and was the city’s first specialist in Obstetrics and Gynecology. For many of the 34 years that he practiced medicine in Camden, he was the only obstetrician in Kershaw County, and in that time he delivered nearly 7,000 babies. Dr. Wood was a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Wofford College and received his medical degree and specialty training at the Medical University of South Carolina. He was a Life Fellow of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and a diplomate of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology. He also served as President of the Kershaw County Medical Society and the Kiwanis Club of Camden, and he was member of other professional organizations. Dr. Wood passed away on February 2, 2007 at the age of 82.
MARY Y. CLARK
Clark, the first woman elected to the Camden City Council, served on Council from 1982 until 1998. Clark was elected Mayor and served from 2000 to 2008. In addition to her long record of public service, Clark had a successful thirty year career as an educator in the public school system. Clark has served on numerous boards and local charities and is especially active with her church and with health care. Clark has been granted numerous awards, including the Kershaw County Chamber of Commerce William F. Nettles Leadership Award (1993), the establishment of the Leadership Award at Lugoff-Elgin High School in her name, was named Woman of the Year in 1980 by the Camden Business and Professional Women’s Association, the Furlow Award for meritorious service to South Carolina government, and was honored by the SC General Assembly through a Concurrent Resolution “recognizing the dedicated labors of such public servants” in 2009. She, along with her husband Walter B. Clark, also received the Ben Bostick Vision award from the Fine Arts Center of Kershaw County.
JEFFREY R. GRAHAM
Bench is located at Rectory Square Park, Chesnut Street
Graham served as Mayor of Camden from 2008-2012. A native of Camden, Graham has made many contributions to his home town. He is active in the Chamber of Commerce, the Rotary Club, United Way, and the United Methodist Church. As Mayor, Graham led the city during difficult economic times and was able to accomplish many significant improvements while maintaining a balanced budget and without increasing city property taxes. The improvements included over five million dollars in grants to improve both infrastructure and quality of life and the establishment of a hospitality tax to promote the city of Camden and to fund other projects. A graduate of Presbyterian College, Graham is a realtor at Graham Realty, Inc. in Camden. He and his wife Sara live in Camden.
DR. PAUL JOSEPH, SR.
Born in Georgetown in 1928, Joseph graduated from the Georgetown University Dental School in 1956 and began his dentist practice in Camden in 1958. Joseph has served with numerous professional and community organizations, including the Southern Academy of Clinical Nutrition, the Academy of General Dentistry, as President of the South Carolina Academy of Implantology, and on a committee of the Kershaw County Dental Society that worked to fluoride drinking water for Kershaw County. Joseph was the 2009 Volunteer of the Year for the United Way of Kershaw and the 2011 Professional Man of the Year by the Camden Rotary Club. A star football player in Georgetown, he received a Lifetime Membership Award from the Camden High School Bulldog Athletic Club. He is also active with the Catholic Church in Kershaw County having served as the Director of Religious Education and on the Church Parish Council. Joseph and his wife Margaret raised their family of eight in Camden.
WALTER M LONG, JR.
Long served on City Council from 2006-2014. As a Councilmember, Long was a strong supporter of improvements to Kendell Park which created a safe and beautiful environment for area residents. He was also instrumental in the downtown revitalization with attention to major infrastructure projects. His long term vision for Camden always included new ventures, balanced budgets, and taking care of the people. Long is a current member & past president of the Camden Rotary Club, past president of the Camden Jaycees, and a member of Grace Episcopal Church. A native of Camden, Long graduated from The Citadel in 1993 and is a Vice President with First Palmetto Savings Bank at its main office in Camden. He, his wife Staci, and their three children are lifelong residents of Camden.
DR. F. N. MCCORKLE, JR.
Bench is located at Hampton Park, Lyttleton Street
Born in Camden in 1926, McCorkle graduated from the Medical University of South Carolina in 1953 and opened his practice in Camden in 1957. McCorkle’s patients nominated him to the Leader’s Legacy Recognition Program for his “love for medicine, his brilliant and keen diagnostic sense ability, his dedication to his patients, his significant contributions to the health and welfare of the citizens of Camden and surrounding areas and his love for the betterment of the community where he was born and raised.” McCorkle has been a leader in the medical community for over fifty years. His skill, knowledge, and legendary good humor have made him a much loved member of Camden.
RUBY JEANNE WRIGHT MINTON (1935-2013)
Bench is located at Monument Square Park, northeast section
A native of Camden, Minton attended Boylan-Haven Mather Academy in Camden and Bennett College in Greensboro, NC. She received her MS Education in 1982 from South Carolina State University. After a thirty year career in childhood education, Minton retired from the classroom. She continued to serve the people of our community through volunteer work and through counselling many of her former students. Minton served on the Board of Directors for the Boylan-Haven Mather Academy, Alston Wilkes Society, United Negro College Fund, NAACP, Kershaw County Fine Arts Commission, Price House Commission, and the Kershaw County Clean Community Commission. A member of Camden First United Methodist church, she also coached girls basketball and chaired many church-related boards and committees.
PATRICK D. PARTIN
Partin served on City Council from 2004-2012. During his tenure, Partin’s vision of a beautiful and safe community led him to advocate for Camden’s Paving Fund which ensures the maintenance of road infrastructure in the city. He was also a strong supporter of placing utility lines underground, of ensuring appropriate signage for parks, and of using the Hospitality Tax to fund events and performances within the city as well as marketing Camden to a wide audience. Partin, who graduated from the University of South Carolina Law School in 1978, is a practicing attorney in the Camden area.
X. WILLARD POLK II
Polk served on City Council from 2010-2014. Prior to his election, he served on the City of Camden’s Parks and Streets Commission from 2003 until 2010 and was Chairman of the Commission from 2004 until 2010. Polk is a former member of the Camden Airport Commission, President of the Camden Tree Foundation, Treasurer of the Historic Camden Foundation Board of Trustees, Secretary-Treasurer of the South Carolina Archives and History Foundation as well as a member of its Advisory Board and Executive Committee, founding member of the Richard Rowland Kirkland Foundation, Executive Committee and CFO of the Palmetto Chapter of the Army Engineer Association, Co-Treasurer for Major General Bob Livingston for Adjutant General Campaign, and a member of the Family Support Group for Company C, 151st Signal Battalion, Camden, SC. He is also a strong supporter of the Historic Camden Revolutionary War Site Park. Polk retired from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division after serving first as Director of Administration and later as a Special Agent specializing in forensics auditing and insurance fraud investigations. Originally from Beaufort, SC, Polk, a graduate of the University of South Carolina, and his wife Kay have lived in Camden since 1972.