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Dr. Harry S. Hickman was born September 23, 1913 in Caldwell County to Dr. Marcus Tobias Hickman and Claudia Elizabeth Hickman. He graduated from Hudson High School as class valedictorian in 1930, and then attended Duke University, graduating in three years with honors. He earned his M.D. Degree at Duke University in1938 and served as an intern for one year at Norfolk General Hospital in Norfolk, Virginia and another year at Nashville General Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee.
In 1940 he returned to Caldwell County and began his medical practice as a General Practitioner at Dula Hospital. His early practice was interrupted by active duty in WWII. In 1942 he joined the Army Air Force, attaining the rank of major, and served as a flight surgeon in the South Pacific, where he administered medical assistance to pilots until the war ended.
After WWII he returned to Lenoir and began his medical practice as a Pediatrician at Dula Hospital. Until the late 1960's, he was the only physician who limited his practice to the care of children. He always had the best interests of children at heart and was an early champion of vaccines that could prevent illnesses in his young patients. He served as president of the Caldwell County Medical Society during the 1953 Polio Epidemic, and organized vaccination clinics for area children, while personally assuming the responsibility to fund the vaccination supplies if necessary. He treated children from all walks of life and provided medical services regardless of the family's ability to pay.
Dr. Hickman practiced medicine for 52 years and retired in 1989 at the age of 76. He held membership in numerous civic organizations and developed keen interests outside of medicine in the areas of photography and genealogy. He was family oriented, raising six children, and during his retirement years, he researched family history. Dr. Hickman passed away in 2005 and Mary Gay, his widow, thinks he would say his greatest accomplishment was insuring that his children became independent thinkers and received a good education.
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Raised in a musical and God-fearing home, Danny Jaynes attended Kings Creek School and graduated from Granite Falls High School in 1956. At the age of 17, he enlisted in the North Carolina National Guard, and after high school graduation in December of 1956, he entered the U.S. Army.
Jaynes volunteered for Airborne training and was assigned to the 326th Airborne Division Engineers in 1957. In a decision that would alter his career path for the next 30 years, he auditioned for the 101st Airborne Division Band as a percussion and tuba player. In 1959 he was assigned to the U.S. Naval School of Music, Washington, DC. Within a short period, he was selected to be the Bandleader/1st Sergeant of the 101st Airborne Division Band, a position he held until 1967.
After completing two combat tours of duty in Vietnam, he was assigned as Band leader of the 82nd Airborne Division Band, America's Guard of Honor. He completed Warrant Officer Bandmaster Training in 1973 and was assigned as Bandmaster/ Commanding Officer of the 5th Infantry Division. Under his direction, the band was selected to perform at the Armed Forces School of Music, an honor that a "line" band had never been given.
Jaynes became Commander of the 298th US Army Band in Berlin, Germany, known as the Glenn Miller Band. During his career, he performed for dignitaries and heads of state, to include Presidents Eisenhower, Nixon, Kennedy, Johnson, Carter, and Reagan. Jaynes returned to the U.S. and was reassigned to the 101st Airborne Division Band as Commander/Bandmaster, his original assignment of service. After 30 years of active duty with the U.S. Army, decorated with the Legion of Merit and the Bronze Star, Jaynes retired as a Chief Warrant Officer in 1986.
Retirement provided an opportunity to serve as Director of Music for Valley Forge Military Academy and College, a position that led to his promotion as Colonel. While there, he was awarded the Gaspar Roca Merit Award and performed for Presidents Gerald Ford, George H. Bush and Bob Hope. Jaynes conducted band performances with the Philadelphia Orchestra and coordinated participation in the largest parade in Europe, the Lord Mayor of Winchester Parade in London. He served as guest conductor, clinician, and adjudicator throughout Europe and the United States.
Outside of his love for music, Jaynes has developed a passion for beekeeping that has resulted in statewide recognition. He has served as President of the Wake County Beekeepers Association for two years. In 2008 he won the Golden Achievement Award for the Best Chapter of the Year for the State Association of Beekeepers. As a Master Beekeeper, he has received the N.C. Beekeeper of the Year Award and currently serves as President of the N.C. State Beekeeping Association with an active membership of over 3,000.
Jaynes and his wife of 53 years, Mary Alice Sigmon, live in North Carolina to be near their children Alice Ann Merle of Raleigh, Tom Jaynes of Durham, and their three grandchildren. He and his wife are members of the Wake County Beekeepers and the Caldwell County Beekeepers Associations. They enjoy volunteering together at the Honey Bee Exhibit in Asheboro for the NC State Zoo, maintaining more than 50 hives throughout North Carolina, and showcasing products at the N.C. State Fair.
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W. C. Newland was born October 8, 1857 in McDowell County, North Carolina, to Dr. and Mrs. Joseph Columbus Newland. His father, Dr. Newland, practiced medicine in Marion until 1873 when he decided to move to Lenoir "in order to give his children better educational advantages" since Lenoir was well known for having the finest educational facilities in Western North Carolina. W. C. Newland attended the Finley Academy, the forerunner of Lenoir High School located on the site of the present day Belleview Cemetery.
Following his graduation from the Finley Academy, Mr. Newland was appointed to the United States Military Academy at West Point New York. He resigned from West Point after three years, deciding to return to Lenoir to read law under Colonel Clinton A. Cilley. In 1881 Mr. Newland was admitted to the bar at age 21. He practiced law in Lenoir in partnership with many of the town's most prominent attorneys.
On October 18, 1884, W. C. Newland married Jessie Hendry from Wilmington, North Carolina. The Newland's built their home in Lenoir, where they reared their four children. Mr. Newland remained a resident of Lenoir for the rest of his life.
W. C. Newland became active in politics as a young man. He was elected Mayor of Lenoir three times, the first time in May of 1887 for a one-year term. He later was elected in May of 1901 and again in May of 1902. In September of 1902, Mr. Newland resigned as Mayor to take his seat in the North Carolina General Assembly, a seat that he had previously held in 1899. In 1904 Mr. Newland campaigned as the Democratic nominee for United States Congress, but was defeated. In 1908 he was elected Lieutenant-Governor of North Carolina, serving under Governor W. W. Kitchin until 1913. While presiding as president of the N.C. Senate, Avery County was created from portions of Caldwell, Mitchell, and Watauga counties. He was instrumental in getting the legislation passed which created the new county, and the county seat town was named Newland in his honor.
While serving in the N.C. General Assembly, Mr. Newland led the forces of those who were advocating that the state appropriate funds for a teachers college in Boone, North Carolina, by converting the existing private Watauga Academy into a state institution. His efforts led to the founding of Appalachian State Teachers College, today Appalachian State University. Because of his efforts, Mr. Newland was named to the original Board of Trustees of the college, and was serving as Chairman at his death. One of the residence halls at the college bears his name.
Mr. Newland died on November 18, 1938, which concluded more than 60 years of notable service to Caldwell County and North Carolina as attorney and public official. Still today, W. C. Newland is the only individual educated in Caldwell County to serve as Lieutenant-Governor in the state of North Carolina.
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Dr. Alan Icenhour, son of the late Joe Icenhour and Ruby Icenhour and brother to Eric, attended Whitnel Elementary, Kings Creek School, and graduated from Hibriten High School in 1982. At North Carolina State University, he graduated Summa Cum Laude with a B.S. Degree in Nuclear Engineering and completed his Master of Science Degree and Doctoral Degree in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Tennessee.
While at NCSU, Dr. Icenhour was selected for the U.S. Navy Nuclear Power Program. After commissioning through Officer candidate School in1986,he completed nuclear power training, submarine officer training, and was assigned to the ballistic missile submarine USS Tecumseh (SSBN-628). Onboard Tecumseh, he served as Communications Officer and Main Propulsion Assistant, completing five strategic deterrent patrols. He qualified to wear the gold dolphins pin signifying a submarine warfare officer.
Dr. Icenhour served in the military until 1990, but continued his service as a Navy reservist. He held leadership positions of increasing responsibility in six reserve units supporting submarine maintenance, fleet communications and electronics, and naval warfare research and development. He served as Executive Officer on three tours, and he was Commanding Officer of a unit for the Naval Research Laboratory, Washington D.C. His final reserve billet was as Chief of Staff for the Navy Reserve Science and Technology Program, a national-level program focused on delivery of new warfighter capabilities. He retired at the rank of captain (0-6) in 2010 after more than 26 years of active and reserve service.
After leaving active duty, Dr. Icenhour joined the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in 1990. His research has included radioactive waste disposition, radioisotope production, studies on the effects of radiation on materials, and development of advanced nuclear fuels. He has served in Washington, D.C. as a Senior Technical Advisor to the National Nuclear Security Administration. He was named Director of the Global Nuclear Security Technology Division in 2008. The division performs R&D related to nuclear nonproliferation, safeguards, threat reduction, transportation security, and advanced radiation detection methods. The division is also involved in policy efforts to detect, prevent, and reverse the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Beginning in 2011, he served in a dual capacity as Interim Director of the Fuel Cycle and Isotopes Division, which focused on nuclear fuel and materials development, stable and radioactive isotope production, radiochemical science and engineering, and remote systems development. Dr. Icenhour was recently named Director of the Nuclear Security and Isotope Technology Division at ORNL, combining the functions of the two divisions above.
He has extensive nuclear experience ranging from reactor and facility operations to nuclear security research and development. His work has included hands-on operations, research, and management of many aspects of the nuclear fuel cycle, both in a civilian and military capacity.
Currently, Dr. Icenhour is an Adjunct Professor of Nuclear Engineering at the University of Tennessee and a member of the Nuclear Engineering Program Advisory Boards at the Universities of Florida and Utah. He is a member of the American Nuclear Society and Institute of Nuclear Materials Management.
Dr. Icenhour and his wife Teresa will soon celebrate their 27th anniversary. They have two daughters: Melissa, a junior majoring in Logistics at the University of Tennessee, and Abby, a high school senior who will study Chemical Engineering at Virginia Tech.
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Bob J. McCreary was born in rural Caldwell County to the late Coy Lee McCreary, a furniture factory worker until his passing in 1971, and Christine Nelson McCreary, who at 93 continues to thrive independently. As the oldest of four sons, he attended Whitnel Elementary and graduated from Hudson High School in 1957. Upon graduation, he received a football scholarship to Wake Forest University, where he played for four years.
McCreary was the 64th selection in the 1961 NFL draft, chosen by the San Francisco 49ers. He also played for the Dallas Cowboys in a brief professional football career, which led him back to Wake Forest University to earn a B.A. in Communications.
After 20 years in furniture sales and manufacturing, he and his wife Michele founded McCreary Modern in 1985, a company that employs over 800 people in six manufacturing facilities throughout Caldwell and Catawba Counties. His family approach to management resulted in gifting 30 percent of McCreary Modern to his employees.
McCreary has demonstrated a strong social conscience by generously giving back to his community. In 2007 he donated $2.3 million to the Wake Forest Deacon Tower effort, a major contribution to the overall renovation of the stadium. Within the last decade, he has made significant contributions to the Town of Hudson for a newly constructed recreation facility and renovated pool, both named in his honor - the McCreary Family Recreation and Fitness Center and the McCreary Family Aquatic Center. He continues to be a dedicated contributor to Caldwell County Hospice, McCreary Career Center, Helping Hands Clinic, and Robin's Nest in Caldwell County. Major contributions have also been made to the Old Post Office Theater in Newton; Catawba Valley Hospital Birthing Center; Wake Forest University; and numerous charitable organizations.
McCreary has served on the Wake Forest Board of Visitors and was twice named Deacon Club Member of the Year. He was awarded the Gene Hooks Achievement Award in 2008, a recognition given to former Wake Forest athletes who exhibit traits of integrity, charity, and leadership. In 2011McCreary was recognized as the Hudson Man of the Year.
In their 28th year of marriage, Bob J. McCreary and Michele reside in the Catawba Valley area. They have two sons, Robert and Christian McCreary, who is deceased. Robert and his wife, Michelle, have two children, Cash and Kate.
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Richard Douglas Taylor was born May 13, 1941 at Caldwell Memorial Hospital in Lenoir. He attended Oak Hill School until the fourth grade, Lower Creek Elementary School through the eighth grade, and graduated from Oak Hill School in 1959, where he was co-captain of the football team, baseball team, President of the Key Club, and writer for the Echo Newspaper. He graduated from North Carolina State University with a B.S. in Civil Engineering in 1967 and later completed a Master's Degree at N.C. State University in Transportation Engineering.
Taylor became the first full-time employee at the Western Piedmont Council of Governments (WPCOG) in September of 1970 and one year later became Executive Director. During his 35-year tenure, the WPCOG became established as one of the premiere Councils of Governments in North Carolina and in the Southeast United States, due to Taylor's insistence for regional cooperation among the agency’s 28 local governments. Taylor advocated for local interests, as demonstrated through his involvement in the Appalachian Regional Commission, the International City Management Association, and the North Carolina City-County Management Association. Under his leadership, significant advancements were made in the areas of transportation, home ownership, and economic development. Taylor became an advisor and a coordinator of every facet of county and municipal government in a four-county area that included Caldwell, Catawba, Burke, and Alexander counties.
Over the last four decades, Taylor's personal service and dedication contributed to improvement in the quality of life for citizens in these communities. Taylor was awarded the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, the highest civilian honor granted in North Carolina. He served as a Foundation Member, Past Treasurer, and Paul Harris Fellow of the Rotary Club of Lake Hickory. Taylor has assisted the Salvation Army efforts; constructed homes for Habitat for Humanity; served as a Good Samaritan Volunteer and President of the Friends of Wilson Creek; and is currently an Elder and member of the Personnel Committee at Hickory's First Presbyterian Church.
After retirement in 2005, Taylor remained an active board member of Friends of Wilson's Creek, an organization that benefitted from his involvement in designating Wilson's Creek as a wild and scenic river.
Doug Taylor, his wife Terry Taylor, an attorney with Young, Morphis, Bach and Taylor, LLP, and their daughter, Ashley, reside in Hickory near their two adult sons, Rick and Brad, and their five grandchildren. Taylor's loyalty to his home community has resulted in effective governmental leadership, unified decision making, and countless achievements that span more than 40 years of dedicated service to citizens in the Piedmont of North Carolina.
