The Inaugural Wilkins Legislative Award Dinner
Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center
January 9, 2006
Held on the first night of the legislative session each year and attended by political, community, and business leaders, the Wilkins Award Dinner promotes citizenship, public service, and bipartisan governing. Senator John W. Drummond was honored as recipients of the 2005 David H. Wilkins Leadership Award. The Wilkins Award was named for former Speaker of the S.C. House of Representatives and Ambassador to Canada, David H. Wilkins, and honor the leadership, courage, vision, and integrity of one South Carolina legislator and one South Carolina civic leader. View this year’s program | Read an article by The Greenville News | Read an article by The State
Senator John W. Drummond
2005 Wilkins Award for Legislative Leadership
John W. Drummond of Greenwood, South Carolina. Senator Drummond, is a long-term South Carolina Senator and President Pro-Tem Emeritus who represents District 10 (Abbeville-Greenwood-Laurens counties), has served in the South Carolina House (1965-66) and in the Senate since 1967. John Drummond’s public service record is remarkable and is reflected by the numerous awards received over the years for his service, including Senator of the Year and Outstanding Senator Awards from organizations as diverse as the American Legion, the School Boards Association, and the South Carolina Association of State Employees. Senator Drummond’s military record between 1939 and 1947 is similarly distinguished. Between 1943 and 1945 he was presented with two Purple Hearts, nine Air Medals, the Distinguished Flying Cross, and three Battle Stars, and a Presidential Citation while a fighter pilot in the 405th Fighter Bomb Unit operating over Europe.
The inauguration of the award marked the beginning of a larger program named for United States Ambassador to Canada David H. Wilkins.
Many thanks to our generous sponsors, who made this event possible:
- BellSouth
- The Barnet Foundation
- BlueCross BlueShield of SC
- Duke Energy
- Fluor Daniel
- Furman University
- Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd, PA
- McAlister Communications
- McNair Law Firm
- MICCO
- National Bank of SC
- Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP
- Piedmont Natural Gas
- RBC Liberty Insurance
- Riley Pope & Laney, LLC
- Richard W. Riley
- SCETV
- SCETV Foundation
- Wachovia Securities Ballentine Group
- David H. Wilkins
- Wilton McKinney
- Windsor Aughtry
- Charles Way