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KENANSVILLE — The Duplin County Hall of Fame inducted two recipients on April 7 during its annual banquet.
The Duplin Hall of Fame began in 1994 as a way to show proper tribute to Duplin County citizens, both past and present, who have made significant contributions to the “growth, development, and well-being” of Duplin County, our state, and the world as a whole. Each year, one honoree from Duplin’s historic past and one living honoree are awarded places in the Hall of Fame at the awards banquet.
Charles Marshall Ingram, a Hall of Fame Board member, presented the award for the honoree from the past. This year’s honoree was William J. Costin Sr.
Costin was born to tenant farmers outside Warsaw in 1925. His family purchased a farm in foreclosure in 1932 and worked hard to never face foreclosure themselves. Costin was the oldest of 12 children, and he had to leave school to work on the farm.
At age 17, he enlisted in the Navy and served in World War II. He volunteered to serve on three different minesweepers in the Pacific Theater, and all three earned battle stars. Costin spent his free time studying and earned his high school equivalency degree while still continuing to rise in rank in the Navy.
Costin spent his whole career in the Pacific Theater and was part of many important attacks including the 82-day invasion of Okinawa. As a result of his heroism, he was awarded four medals: the Navy Good Conduct Medal, American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, and the World War II Victory Medal. When he returned home, Costin served in the National Guard for three years, met and married a woman from Mount Olive, started a family, and settled into farming. Like his parents, Costin started as a tenant farmer then bought a foreclosed property. Costin paid off his loans early and three years later, was able to increase their land to 111 acres — the farm is still in the family today.
Over the course of his life, Costin would be honored for his successful farming with awards and leadership roles. He was recruited by the Duplin County Cooperative Extension Service to start a 4-H club in Warsaw, and it became a 22-year-long passion.
Costin served on numerous county and state boards for agriculture and was a Duplin County commissioner for three terms. Costin was a devoted member of Warsaw United Methodist Church and served in many roles there including 40 years as a Sunday school teacher. He cared deeply for the Veterans of Foreign Wars and donated family land to help make Post 9810 in Warsaw possible.
“The honoree committed himself at an early age to improving the quality of life for his family, his community, his country, and his state and nation … His legacy is one of faith, family, sacrifice, service, and an unwavering dedication to improving the lives of others,” Ingram said. Marilynn Kornegay Hroza, Duplin County Hall of Fame president, unveiled a picture of the honoree and hung a ribboned medal on it. Costin’s son and daughters were present to accept the award and thanked everyone for commemorating their father.
Sheila Smith Futrell, a Hall of Fame Board member, introduced the living honoree. This year’s living recipient was Alice Smith Scott.
Scott was born into hard work as the fifth of seven children on a farm in 1943. She maintained many leadership roles in school and graduated valedictorian and class president of her senior class at B.F. Grady. By 20, she was married and pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree with a teaching certificate. During her college years, she co-authored and published research articles. Once graduated, she taught at James Kenan and East Duplin schools. She went back to school, published more articles, and obtained her PhD in Food Science. From there, she accepted a position at ECU where she would become the nutrition department chair by the age of 33. She served on government councils and won awards, but life shifted when she and her husband moved their family home to Duplin County. She commuted for a few years before pivoting to a career in Duplin County Schools. For nine years, she led the charge in bettering Duplin County Schools including starting a college credit program that was a precursor to the current Career and College Promise program and building three new K-8 schools: B.F. Grady Elementary, Chinquapin Elementary and Beulaville Elementary.
Her efforts served as the blueprint for four more K-8 schools later. Scott served on various committees to benefit the county and state. In 2009, Scott and her husband started a nonprofit, Kneeling Pines Farms. With this nonprofit, they take produce from their own garden and make homemade goods and flowers to sell to the public. The profits from these sales are then donated to benefit others. Their donations have included drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers, scientific research, and education scholarships.
“(Scott) has demonstrated a lifetime of service to her family, her church, her community, Duplin County and beyond. Her professional life and dedication to her nonprofit work has been characterized by constant involvement — not just a one time action. As an educator, through teaching, administration and leadership in professional organization, the students she has helped to train and the programs she helped implement have carried her influence way beyond the boundaries of Duplin County and North Carolina … Whenever (Scott) saw a need, she would find a way to meet it … in ways that brought her around full circle to her roots,” Futrell said.
Scott was present to receive her award. She came with her husband and her family members to receive the medal from Hroza. She received a standing ovation from the crowd, and she thanked them all for their kindness and nomination.
Since its inception, 63 Duplin County citizens have been inducted to the Duplin County Hall of Fame. A permanent site with pictures of each inductee stands in the Duplin County Courthouse. Inductees are nominated through a paper application system and voted on by a committee of volunteers.
