The Order of the Palmetto is the highest civilian honor awarded by the

Governor of South Carolina The governor of South Carolina is the head of government of South Carolina. The governor is the ''ex officio'' commander-in-chief of the National Guard when not called into federal service. The governor's responsibilities include making yea ...

. It is awarded to South Carolinians who demonstrate extraordinary lifetime achievement, service and contributions of national or statewide significance.

History

Governor John West created the Order of the Palmetto in 1971 to recognize lifetime achievement and service by South Carolina residents and those born in the state. It is thought to be modeled on similar honors bestowed in other states, such as the

Kentucky Colonel Kentucky Colonel is the highest title of honor bestowed by the Commonwealth of Kentucky, and is the most well-known of a number of honorary colonelcies conferred by United States governors. A Kentucky Colonel Commission (the certificate) i ...

. Over the years, the honor program has been modified. In 1997, Governor

David Beasley David Muldrow Beasley (born February 26, 1957) is an American politician and the Executive Director of the United Nations World Food Programme. A member of the Republican Party, he served one term as the 113th Governor of South Carolina from 199 ...

established the Order of the Silver Crescent as a companion award to the Order of the Palmetto to recognize contributions by persons younger than 18. In 1999, Governor

Jim Hodges James Hovis Hodges (born November 19, 1956) is an American businessman, attorney, and politician who served as the 114th governor of South Carolina from 1999 to 2003. Since his victory in 1998, Hodges has remained the only Democrat elected t ...

created a

non-partisan Nonpartisanism is a lack of affiliation with, and a lack of bias towards, a political party. While an Oxford English Dictionary definition of ''partisan'' includes adherents of a party, cause, person, etc., in most cases, nonpartisan refers s ...

screening panel to review nominations. The eligibility criteria for the Order of the Silver Crescent was changed to make it an auxiliary award honoring achievement or service at the local level, without restrictions of age. In 2003, Governor

Mark Sanford Marshall Clement "Mark" Sanford Jr. (born May 28, 1960) is an American politician and author who served as the U.S. Representative for South Carolina's 1st congressional district from 1995 to 2001 and again from 2013 to 2019, and also as the ...

created a panel to establish firm criteria for award eligibility, with the goal of changing the perception that the order was a political send-off. As of 2004, over 3,500 people have been honored with the Order of the Palmetto. Awardees include the

rock band A rock band or pop band is a small musical ensemble that performs rock music, pop music, or a related genre. A four-piece band is the most common configuration in rock and pop music. In the early years, the configuration was typically two gui ...

Hootie and the Blowfish Hootie & the Blowfish are an American soft rock band that were formed in Columbia, South Carolina, in 1986. The band's lineup for most of its existence has been the quartet of Darius Rucker, Mark Bryan, Dean Felber, and Jim Sonefeld. The band ...

, which Governor

recognized in 1999 for its

charity Charity may refer to: Giving * Charitable organization or charity, a non-profit organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being of persons * Charity (practice), the practice of being benevolent, giving and sharing * C ...

efforts. Governors

Henry McMaster Henry Dargan McMaster (born May 27, 1947) is an American politician and attorney serving as the 117th governor of South Carolina since January 24, 2017. He is a member of the Republican Party. McMaster worked for U.S. senator Strom Thurmond, in ...

and

Nikki Haley Nimrata Nikki Haley (née Randhawa; born January 20, 1972) is an American diplomat and politician who served as the 116th and first female governor of South Carolina from 2011 to 2017, and as the 29th United States Ambassador to the United Nat ...

received the award prior to their assuming office.

Mary Simms Oliphant Mary Chevillette Simms Oliphant (January 6, 1891 – July 27, 1988) was a South Carolina historian. Mary Simms graduated from Columbia College for Women in Columbia, South Carolina. In 1916, the South Carolina state superintendent of educa ...

, honored in 1982, was the first woman to receive the award. Other notable recipients include novelist

Pat Conroy Donald Patrick Conroy (October 26, 1945 – March 4, 2016) was an American author who wrote several acclaimed novels and memoirs; his books '' The Water is Wide'', '' The Lords of Discipline'', ''The Prince of Tides'' and ''The Great Santini'' w ...

, civil rights activist

Septima Poinsette Clark Septima Poinsette Clark (May 3, 1898 – December 15, 1987) was an African American educator and civil rights activist. Clark developed the literacy and citizenship workshops that played an important role in the drive for voting rights and ci ...

, football coach

Lou Holtz Louis Leo Holtz (born January 6, 1937) is an American former football player, coach, and analyst. He served as the head football coach at The College of William & Mary (1969–1971), North Carolina State University (1972–1975), the New Yo ...

, and musician

James Brown James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, dancer, musician, record producer and bandleader. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th century music, he is often referred to by the hono ...

Award

The award comes in the form of a certificate or plaque that, in part, reads:

In grateful recognition of your contributions and friendship to the State of South Carolina and her people, I do hereby confer unto you the Order of the Palmetto with all the rights and privileges appertaining thereto.

References

External links

Order of Palmetto
a
South Carolina Department of Archives & History

Recipients of the Order of Palmetto (through 2021)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Order Of The Palmetto Honorary titles of the United States South Carolina culture Awards established in 1971 1971 establishments in South Carolina Governor of South Carolina State awards and decorations of the United States