Anchorman, 2 college presidents, restaurateur headline Richland 1 Hall of Fame class

A national TV newsman, two college presidents and a restaurant owner, all with Columbia roots, are among the inductees to Richland 1’s Hall of Fame on Saturday, Jan. 28.

The 2017 class of honorees includes Bill Dukes, Benjamin Dunlap, Don Frierson, Thomas Sinkler Martin, Craig Melvin and Ronald Rhames.

Dukes, a 1960 Dreher High graduate, owns the Blue Marlin restaurant in the Vista, founded and sold the LongHorn Steakhouse franchise, and founded the Honor Flight of S.C. program that has helped fly thousands of World War II veterans to the nation’s capital to see their memorial.

Dunlap, a 1955 Columbia High graduate, led Wofford College as president from 2000 to 2013.

Don Frierson, a 1969 C.A. Johnson graduate, hosts South Carolina’s longest-running African-American talk and information forum, “Urban Scene” on WGCV 620 AM.

Martin, a Booker T. Washington High graduate, was an educator and advocate for physical education and recreation programs in Columbia before his death in 1993.

Melvin, a 1997 Columbia High graduate, is an Emmy Award-winning television journalist. He co-anchors the Weekend Today show on NBC and is an anchor for MSNBC and correspondent for NBC News.

Rhames, a 1973 W.J. Keenan High graduate, is the current president of Columbia’s Midlands Technical College, the first African-American and first technical college graduate to hold the position.

The 13th annual Richland 1 Hall of Fame Inducation Gala is Saturday, Jan. 28, at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center.

This story was originally published January 20, 2017 at 11:35 AM with the headline "Anchorman, 2 college presidents, restaurateur headline Richland 1 Hall of Fame class."