The 2023 Richland One Hall of Fame Gala Photo Gallery

The Richland One Hall of Fame Induction Gala was held on Saturday, March 4, 2023 at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center. The Richland One Hall of Fame was created to recognize Richland One alumni and other persons throughout the district’s history who have made significant contributions to Richland One, their communities, their professions and society as a whole.

Induction into the Hall of Fame is the highest honor bestowed upon individuals by the Richland One Board of School Commissioners. Ninety-seven men and women have been inducted since the Hall of Fame was established in 2004.

The four members of the 2023 Hall of Fame induction class who were honored during this year’s gala were:

Lt. Colonel Charity Adams Earley

Lt. Colonel Charity Adams Earley graduated from Booker T. Washington High School in 1934. She was the first African-American female officer in the Women’s Army Corps (WACs). By the end of World War II, she was the highest ranking African-American woman in the military. She also taught junior high school mathematics and general science in Richland One for four years. She passed away in 2002. Filmmaker Tyler Perry’s next feature film for Netflix (“Six Triple Eight”) will focus on the first African-American female battalion – the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion – of which Lieutenant Colonel Earley served as the commanding officer.

Ella McRant

Ella McRant is a 1959 graduate of Hopkins High School who was a teacher and administrator in Richland One for 31 years, serving at Hopkins, A.C. Flora and W.J. Keenan high schools. During her tenure in the district, she served on several committees, including participating in the initial planning for the International Baccalaureate curriculum and diploma program for high school students. She retired in 1996 as an assistant principal at W.J. Keenan.

Dr. Carlos L. Smith  

Dr. Carlos L. Smith is a 1967 graduate of C.A. Johnson High School who spent 36 of his 40 years in education as a teacher, coach and administrator in Richland One. His contributions to the district include leading the implementation of the C average policy which requires students in grades 6-12 to have at least a 2.0 GPA to participate in competitive co-curricular activities. Dr. Smith was named the 2012-2013 District-Level Administrator of the Year by the South Carolina Association of School Administrators (SCASA). He retired from the district in 2015 as assistant to the superintendent, ombudsman and athletics director.

Coach Bobby R. Young  

Coach Bobby R. Young’s teaching and coaching career spanned five decades. He served for 38 years as the head girls varsity basketball coach at Columbia High School, from 1982 until his retirement in 2020. He led the Lady Capitals to five state championship wins and three runner-up titles. Coach Young is a member of the South Carolina Athletic Coaches Association’s Hall of Fame and the South Carolina Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame. The Columbia High gymnasium was named in his honor in January of 2022.

The Richland One Hall of Fame Induction Gala will be held Saturday, March 4, 2023 at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center. The red carpet reception will begin at 5 p.m. and the program will begin at 6 p.m. Additional details about the gala, including ticket information and sponsorship opportunities, will be announced in January.

Click on the links in the left column of the page to view the five sets
of pictures from the 2023 Hall of Fame Induction Gala.  

For more information about the Richland One Hall of Fame, contact Karen York in the Richland One Office of Communications at (803) 231-7504.