Recipient
|
Award
Year
|
Notability
|
References
|
1981–82 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team
|
1982
|
1982 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament National Champions; Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament Champions and Regular Season Co-champions
|
[1]
|
Charles W. Albertson
|
|
North Carolina Senate
|
|
Elreta Alexander-Ralston
|
1995
|
Trial attorney and North Carolina District Court Judge
|
|
Gordon P. Allen
|
2010
|
North Carolina Senate
|
|
Jo Allen
|
2024
|
President of Meredith College
|
[3]
|
American Red Cross
|
1982
|
Humanitarian organization
|
|
Maya Angelou
|
1992
|
Poet, author, and civil rights activist
|
[4][5]
|
Balsam Range
|
2015
|
Bluegrass band
|
[6]
|
William Barber II
|
2010
|
Minister and political activist
|
|
Harry Belafonte
|
|
Calypso singer and actor
|
[7][1]
|
Jack Betts
|
2006
|
Journalist and associate editor of The Charlotte Observer
|
|
Dan Blue
|
2003
|
Speaker of the North Carolina House of Representatives and North Carolina Senate
|
|
Blue Angels
|
2003
|
United States Navy flight demonstration squadron
|
[7]
|
John Baker
|
1971, 1987, 2004
|
Professional football player and Wake County Sheriff
|
|
George W. BonDurant
|
2009
|
Founder and first president of Atlanta Christian College and Mid-Atlantic Christian University
|
|
Charlie Boney
|
2014
|
Architect
|
|
Rod Brind'Amour
|
2024
|
Professional hockey player and coach
|
[8]
|
Jim Broyhill
|
1992
|
United States House of Representatives and United States Senate
|
|
Peter S. Brunstetter
|
2016
|
North Carolina Senate
|
|
Wanda G. Bryant
|
1980
|
Associate judge on the North Carolina Court of Appeals
|
|
Shirley Caesar
|
1979, 1995, 2016
|
Grammy Awards winning Gospel singer
|
[7]
|
Isabella Cannon
|
1999
|
First female Mayor of Raleigh, North Carolina
|
|
Rod Carew
|
1984
|
Baseball player and coach
|
[7]
|
Fred Chappell
|
2003
|
North Carolina Poet Laureate
|
|
Richard Childress
|
1994
|
NASCAR race car driver and businessman
|
[9]: 634
|
Shirley Chisholm
|
|
First Black woman to be elected to the United States Congress
|
[7][1]
|
Janice Cole
|
2001
|
United States Attorney for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina
|
[10]
|
Linda Combs
|
2022
|
Comptroller of the Office of Management and Budget
|
|
Bonnie Ethel Cone
|
2003
|
Founder of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte
|
|
Janet Cowell
|
2017
|
North Carolina State Treasurer and North Carolina Senate
|
|
David Crabtree
|
2022
|
Journalist and lead anchor of WRAL-TV
|
|
Joan Crawford
|
|
Actress
|
[7][1]
|
Paul R. Cunningham
|
2016
|
Dean of The Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University
|
|
Charlie Daniels
|
1984
|
Singer, musician, and songwriter
|
[7]
|
Frank A. Daniels Jr.
|
1995
|
Publisher of The News and Observer
|
[1][11]
|
Chuck Davis
|
2007
|
Dancer
|
|
Crash Davis
|
1979
|
Minor League Baseball player
|
|
Claude DeBruhl
|
1981
|
North Carolina House of Representatives and veterans advocate
|
|
Ruby Dee
|
2000
|
Actress
|
|
Walter Dellinger
|
2010
|
Acting United States Solicitor General and law professor
|
|
Walter DeVries
|
1998
|
Political consultant and founder of the North Carolina Institute of Political Leadership
|
|
James Dodson
|
2012
|
Sports writer
|
|
Phil Donahue
|
1982
|
Talk show host and writer
|
[7]
|
Philip L. Dubois
|
2020
|
President of the University of Wyoming and chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte
|
|
Dale Earnhardt
|
1994
|
NASCAR stock car racing driver and racing team owner
|
[9]: 634
|
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
|
2018
|
NASCAR stock car racing driver, team owner, and broadcaster
|
|
Thereasea Elder
|
2001
|
First African American public health nurse in Charlotte, North Carolina
|
|
Karl Eikenberry
|
2016
|
United States Army lieutenant general and former U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan
|
|
Myrlie Evers-Williams
|
1995
|
Civil rights activist
|
|
S. Scott Ferebee Jr.
|
2001
|
Architect
|
|
Tom Fetzer
|
1992
|
Mayor of Raleigh, North Carolina and chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party
|
|
Gerald Ford
|
|
President of the United States
|
[7][1]
|
John Hope Franklin
|
1995
|
Historian and writer
|
[7]
|
William C. Friday
|
2004
|
Head of the University of North Carolina system from 1956 to 1986
|
[5]
|
Shirley Fulton
|
2011
|
First African American female judge in the North Carolina Superior Court
|
|
Roman Gabriel
|
1988
|
Professional football player
|
[7]
|
Norman C. Gaddis
|
2023
|
United States Air Force Brigadier General
|
|
Clarence Gaines
|
1979, 1988, 1993
|
Mens basketball coach at Winston-Salem State University
|
|
Harvey Gantt
|
1984
|
Architect and the first black Mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina
|
|
John Glenn
|
1979
|
NASA astronaut and United States Senate
|
[7]
|
Danny Glover
|
2003
|
Actor
|
[10]
|
Jeff Gordon
|
2016
|
NASCAR stock car racing driver and stock car racing executive
|
[9]: 654
|
Tipper Gore
|
1997
|
Second Lady of the United States and co-founder of the Parents Music Resource Center
|
[7]
|
Billy Graham
|
1996
|
Evangelist, Southern Baptist minister, and civil rights advocate
|
[4][5]
|
Franklin Graham
|
2015
|
Christian Evangelist and missionary
|
|
William A. Griffin
|
2010
|
Preacher and president of Mid-Atlantic Christian University
|
|
Andy Griffith
|
2012
|
Actor
|
[12]
|
Philip F. Gura
|
2019
|
Cultural historian and academic
|
[13]
|
Lloyd V. Hackley
|
1992
|
Chancellor of Fayetteville State University and president of the North Carolina Community College System
|
[14]
|
Bob Hall
|
2017
|
Executive Director of Democracy North Carolina
|
|
Mia Hamm
|
1995
|
Professional soccer player
|
[7]
|
Bob Harris
|
2017
|
Sportscaster
|
|
Fletcher L. Hartsell Jr.
|
1992
|
North Carolina Senate
|
|
Nathan O. Hatch
|
2021
|
President of Wake Forest University
|
[15]
|
Merlin Hay, 24th Earl of Erroll
|
1986
|
Earl of Erroll
|
|
Rick Hendrick
|
1996
|
NASCAR racing driver and team owner
|
[4][9]: 654
|
George M. Holmes
|
1992
|
North Carolina House of Representatives
|
|
James Holshouser
|
1983
|
Governor of North Carolina
|
|
Jonathan Howes
|
1997
|
Secretary, North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources
|
[16]
|
Engelbert Humperdink
|
|
Pop singer
|
[7][1]
|
Catfish Hunter
|
|
Professional baseball player
|
[7]
|
William E. Ingram Jr.
|
1995
|
Lieutenant General and director of the Army National Guard
|
|
Jesse Jackson
|
1982
|
Civil rights activist and shadow congressperson for Washington, D.C.
|
[7]
|
J. Charles Jennette
|
2020
|
Nephropathologist, academic, and author
|
|
George Jessel
|
1979
|
Vaudeville performer and actor
|
[7]
|
Junior Johnson
|
1984
|
NASCAR stock car racing driver and team owner
|
[7]
|
George Jones
|
1970
|
Country musician
|
|
Wilbur D. Jones Jr.
|
2023
|
Author, military historian, and preservationist
|
[17]
|
Michael Jordan
|
1985
|
College and professional basketball player
|
[18][5]
|
Alexander Julian
|
1980
|
Fashion designer
|
[7]
|
Ralph Ketner
|
2015
|
Founder of Food Lion
|
[19]
|
Jean-Claude Killy
|
|
Olympic Alpine skier
|
[7]
|
Coretta Scott King
|
2002
|
Civil rights leader and wife of Martin Luther King Jr.
|
[10]
|
Earline Heath King
|
2003
|
Sculptor
|
[20]
|
Fred Kirby
|
1980
|
Singer-songwriter
|
[7]
|
Mike Krzyzewski
|
2022
|
College basketball coach
|
[21]
|
I. Beverly Lake Jr.
|
2006
|
Chief justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court
|
[10]
|
Bill Leslie
|
2018
|
News anchor for WRAL-TV and New-age music recording artist
|
[22]
|
William Ivey Long
|
2001
|
Costume designer
|
[10]
|
Betty Lynn
|
2016
|
Actress
|
|
Doug Marlette
|
2007
|
Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist
|
|
John C. Martin
|
2014
|
Chief Judge of the North Carolina Court of Appeals
|
|
David T. McCoy
|
2000
|
N.C. State Controller and Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Transportation
|
[23]
|
Scotty McCreery
|
2017
|
Country music singer
|
[24]
|
Mike McIntyre
|
2014
|
U.S. House of Representatives
|
[25]
|
Kenneth Merritt
|
|
Parachutist
|
|
Mary Lee Mills
|
|
Nurse
|
[26][27]
|
Ronnie Milsap
|
1984
|
Country music singer
|
[7]
|
Michael A. Milton
|
2018
|
Minister, theologian, and singer-songwriter
|
|
Burley Mitchell
|
1992
|
Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court
|
|
Jerry Moore
|
2012
|
Football player and coach
|
|
Hugh Morton
|
1984
|
Photographer and conservationist who developed Grandfather Mountain
|
[7]
|
Wendell H. Murphy
|
1992
|
North Carolina House of Representatives and North Carolina Senate
|
|
Bess Myerson
|
1979
|
Miss America, model, and television actress
|
[7]
|
Hal Needham
|
1983
|
Stunt performer and film director
|
[7]
|
Leslie Nielsen
|
|
Actor
|
[7][1]
|
Virginia Newell
|
2017
|
Mathematics educator, author, and politician
|
|
Edward Francis North, Earl of Guilford
|
1982
|
9th Earl of Guilford
|
[1]
|
Margaret Nygard
|
1995
|
Educator and conservationist
|
|
Carmen Hooker Odom
|
2007
|
Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services
|
|
Benny Parsons
|
2007
|
NASCAR driver and pit reporter
|
|
Itzhak Perlman
|
1983
|
Violinist
|
[7]
|
Gaylord Perry
|
|
Professional baseball player
|
[7]
|
Richard Petty
|
1988
|
NASCAR stock car racing driver
|
[12]
|
Gary Player
|
1983
|
Professional golfer
|
[7]
|
Sidney Poitier
|
1993
|
Actor and diplomat
|
[7]
|
Art Pope
|
1992
|
North Carolina House of Representatives and businessman
|
[7]
|
Colin Powell
|
1993
|
United States secretary of state
|
|
Marc Pruett
|
2015
|
Bluegrass banjo player
|
[6]
|
Nido Qubein
|
2005
|
Businessman and motivational speaker
|
|
André Raphel
|
2001
|
Conductor, Boston Symphony Orchestra
|
[28][29]
|
James E. Ramsey
|
2012
|
Speaker of the North Carolina House of Representatives
|
|
Robert Redford
|
1984
|
Actor and filmmaker
|
|
John Shelton Reed
|
2023
|
Sociologist, essayist, and author
|
|
William Rehnquist
|
1994
|
Chief Justice of the United States
|
[7]
|
Gene Roberts
|
2015
|
National and executive editor of The New York Times
|
|
Kenny Rogers
|
1982
|
Country music singer and songwriter
|
[7]
|
Thomas Warren Ross
|
1999
|
President of the University of North Carolina system
|
|
Robert W. Scott
|
1971
|
Governor of North Carolina
|
|
Earl Scruggs
|
1984
|
Bluegrass musician
|
[7]
|
Hugh Shelton
|
|
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
|
[7][1]
|
Claude Sitton
|
1985
|
The New York Times reporter and editor, The News & Observer editor
|
|
Enos Slaughter
|
1983
|
Professional baseball player
|
[7]
|
Arthur "Guitar Boogie" Smith
|
1984
|
Composer, musician, and record producer
|
[7]
|
Dean Smith
|
1988
|
College basketball coach
|
[12]
|
James Smith
|
1993, 1995
|
Boxer and World Boxing Association heavyweight champion
|
[7]
|
Mike Sprayberry
|
1998
|
North Carolina Emergency management director
|
|
Ted G. Stone
|
1999
|
Evangelist
|
|
Curtis Strange
|
1991
|
Professional golfer
|
[7]
|
Ben C. Sutton Jr.
|
2014
|
Investor, philanthropist, and the founder of Teall Capital
|
|
Wendell Tabb
|
2022
|
Theater teacher
|
|
Bob Timberlake
|
2006
|
Artist
|
[4]
|
Patricia Timmons-Goodson
|
1999, 2005
|
North Carolina Supreme Court and federal judge for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina
|
[10]
|
Randy Travis
|
1987
|
Country music and gospel music singer
|
[7]
|
Lanny Wadkins
|
1988
|
Professional golfer
|
[7]
|
George Walker
|
1997
|
Classical composer and the first African American to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music
|
|
Jerry M. Wallace
|
2015
|
President of Campbell University
|
[30]
|
Rusty Wallace
|
2005
|
NASCAR racing driver
|
|
Edith D. Warren
|
2012
|
North Carolina General Assembly
|
[31]
|
Robert D. Warren Sr.
|
2005
|
North Carolina Senate
|
|
Doc Watson
|
1999
|
Grammy Awards winning bluegrass singer and songwriter
|
[7]
|
Norman Adrian Wiggins
|
1976, 1980, 1996, 1998
|
President of Campbell University
|
[1]
|
Laura I. Wiley
|
2016
|
North Carolina House of Representatives
|
|
Harvey D. Williams
|
1996
|
U.S. Army major general and first African-American commander of Fort Myer
|
|
Ted Williams
|
1981
|
Professional baseball player
|
[7]
|
Tennessee Williams
|
1981
|
Playwright and screenwriter
|
[7]
|
Oprah Winfrey
|
1987
|
Talk show host, actress, producer, and author
|
[12]
|
Leslie Winner
|
1999
|
North Carolina Senate and general counsel and vice president for the University of North Carolina system
|
|
Jeremiah Wolfe
|
2017
|
Cherokee stonecutter, stickball caller, and storyteller
|
[32]
|
Ira David Wood III
|
1994
|
Actor, playwright, and executive director of Theatre in the Park
|
|
James Worthy
|
1985
|
College and professional basketball player
|
|
Aldona Wos
|
2015
|
United States Ambassador to Estonia and Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services
|
[33]
|
Tammy Wynette
|
1970
|
Country music singer
|
[7]
|
Andrew Young
|
2002
|
Civil rights activist, U.S. Congressman, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, and the Mayor of Atlanta
|
[7]
|