Chancellor Emeritus Martin to be Honored Nov. 14 with the North Carolina Award

RALEIGH, N.C. (Oct. 17, 2024) – North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University Chancellor Emeritus Harold L. Martin Sr. has been named one of eight recipients this year of the North Carolina Awards, “the highest honor the governor and the State of North Carolina can bestow.”

The awards will be presented by Gov. Roy Cooper and N.C. Secretary of Natural and Cultural Resources Reid Wilson on Nov. 14 in a special 60^th anniversary black-tie ceremony at the Raleigh Marriott City Center.  

Martin, who retired Aug. 15 as the 12^th chancellor of North Carolina A&T after a historic 15-year tenure, will receive the North Carolina Award for Public Service. In a statement announcing this year’s winners, Martin was lauded for “dedicating his life to higher education and public service.”

“His extensive experience in education, spanning over 40 years, made him a key figure in N.C. A&T’s growth to become the largest of the nation’s historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and one of the country’s top public research institutions,” the statement said.

Other winners this year include NASA Astronaut Christina Koch (Science), environmental law pioneer Thomas W. Earnhardt (Science), noted orchestral conductor William Henry Curry (Fine Arts), New York Times columnist Frank A. Bruni Jr. (Literature) and folk rock musicians, the Avett Brothers, Scott and Seth (Fine Arts).

“Over the past six decades, the North Carolina Award has been given to many remarkable North Carolinians,” said Wilson. "This year’s awardees join an illustrious list of people who have benefited North Carolina through their impressive accomplishments in public service, literature, science, and the arts.”

The N.C. General Assembly created the North Carolina Awards in 1961 to honor major contributions to the state and the nation in the fields of fine arts, literature, public service and science. The first awards were presented in 1964. More than 300 people have been named North Carolina Award winners in the 60 years since then.

Proceeds from ticket sales for the Nov. 14 gala will go to the North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund “to help communities recover from Hurricane Helene.”