2008 Woodie Awards
Recognized Leaders to Speak at Black History Month Celebration at FSU
FSU Public Relations
Issue date: 2/1/07 Section: News
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The theme for the program will be "From Slavery to Freedom" and will feature guest speaker Harvey Gantt. The program's honorees this year are Percy Arrington of Washington, D.C. and Moses Mathis of Fayetteville. They will receive special commendations for their work in the African-American community.
Gantt was born in Charleston, South Carolina and was educated in the public school system of that city. He graduated second in his class from Burke High School and attended Iowa State University on a merit scholarship. In 1961, he applied to Clemson University. He was admitted under court order in 1963, thus becoming the first African-American student to attend a previously all-white institution of higher learning in South Carolina. He graduated with honors in 1965 with a bachelor of architecture degree and in 1970, he earned a master of city planning degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The following year, Gantt started Gantt Huberman Architects, a Charlotte architectural firm co-founded with Jeff Huberman. The firm grew tremendously and became an award-winning design organization. In 1986, he was made a fellow in the American Institute of Architects, which is the highest honor granted to practicing architects.
He served more than three terms on the Charlotte City Council during the late 1970s. He was mayor pro tem of the city in 1981 and 1983, and later was elected mayor of Charlotte, an office he held for two terms. During his tenure, the city of Charlotte underwent one of its greatest periods of prosperity. More than 21,000 new jobs were created and investments reached more than a million dollars. In 1990, Gantt, a Democrat, decided to run for national office and contested Jesse Helms in the North Carolina US Senate race. In a much publicized and controversial campaign, Gantt lost the election but won national acclaim and respect for positions he took on education, health care, and the environment.
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