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TO REQUEST THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION NAME THE INTERCHANGE LOCATED AT THE INTERSECTION OF INTERSTATE HIGHWAY 77 AND SOUTH CAROLINA HIGHWAY 555 IN RICHLAND COUNTY "HARRY 'H. B.' RUTHERFORD, SR. INTERCHANGE" AND ERECT APPROPRIATE MARKERS OR SIGNS AT THIS INTERCHANGE THAT CONTAIN THE WORDS "HARRY 'H. B.' RUTHERFORD, SR. INTERCHANGE".
Whereas, Dr. Harry Benjamin Rutherford, Sr., was born on July 14, 1911, the son of Harry Benjamin Rutherford and Carrie Jones Rutherford, and died on November 20, 1980; and
Whereas, Dr. Rutherford's father died when he was three years old, leaving his mother Carrie to manage her late husband's limousine, regalia, and cigar factory businesses, all while raising her young son as a single parent in the early 1900's; and
Whereas, he received his high school diploma from Booker T. Washington High School in 1928, graduated cum laude and salutatorian from Johnson C. Smith University in 1932 with a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics, earned a Masters Degree from New York University in 1940, and his Doctorate Degree from Harvard University; and
Whereas, he and his wife Dr. Everetta Sims Rutherford were the proud parents of two sons; and
Whereas, Dr. Rutherford was a pioneer in the field of education in Richland County and South Carolina. He served as both a teacher and principal at Booker T. Washington High School, principal of Carver Junior High School, and principal of Waverly Elementary School; and
Whereas, Dr. Rutherford was the longest serving principal in Booker T. Washington High School's history, holding this position from 1950 through 1964; and
Whereas, the City of Columbia knew Dr. Rutherford as an innovative, compassionate, sincere, and purposeful man. He was committed to education and educational reform. He spent many summers traveling and learning about educational institutions and systems around the world and integrated the knowledge gained from his travels into the administrative and instructional curriculum at Booker T. Washington High School; and
Whereas, Dr. Rutherford also was a pioneering businessman in Richland County. He was one of the founders of the Richland Teachers Council Federal Credit Union, created in the basement of Booker T. Washington High School with the purpose of providing loans to African American teachers who could not obtain them from other lending institutions; and
Whereas, he took leadership roles in numerous professional, political, and civic organizations including serving as President of the Richland County Teachers Association, President of Ward Two Democratic Precinct in Columbia, Chairman of the Credit Union Committee for the Palmetto Education Association, Leadership Chairman of the Central Boys Scouts Unit of South Carolina, and was a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity; and
Whereas, it is fitting and proper for the members of the General Assembly to pause in their deliberations to recognize Dr. Harry Rutherford, Sr., for a life dedicated to providing a quality education to all South Carolinians and developing businesses in the underserved communities in our State by naming an interstate interchange in Richland county in his honor. Now, therefore,
Be it resolved by the Senate, the House of Representatives concurring:
That the members of the General Assembly request that the Department of Transportation name the interchange located at the intersection of Interstate Highway 77 and South Carolina Highway 555 in Richland County "Harry 'H. B.' Rutherford, Sr. Interchange" and erect appropriate markers or signs at this interchange that contain the words "Harry 'H. B.' Rutherford, Sr. Interchange".
Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to the Department of Transportation.
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