By CAROLYN CARY
ccary@thecitizennews.com

Fayette County High School honored some of Fayette's best known celebrities last week, all of them graduates of the school.

The first Fayette County High School Distinguished Alumni event was part of the school's “Sports Hall of Fame,” and four alumni were selected.

From the class of 1929, Elizabeth Redwine Ramsey was chosen for community activity and service to her church, and recognized as the only female school superintendent to have served in Fayette County. She also served on the Board of Directors of the Farmers and Merchants Bank for 25 years. She commented that she loves Fayetteville and all its people and looks forward to living here the rest of her life.

Chosen from the class of 1938, Dr. Ferrol A. Sams Jr. was selected for his medical service to the county, (he and his wife, Dr. Helen F. Sams, have been practicing medicine in the county since 1951), as well as recognizing his ability as a writer. He has received numerous awards from both fields. In thanking everyone for the honor, Sams said, “I would much rather be distinguished than extinguished.”

Author Robert Burch graduated in the class of 1942 and was chosen for his body of writing as well as having served his county on the Library Board and the Fayetteville Zoning Board of Appeals. He shared a moment that happened when speaking to a speech class in Fayette County. A young student commented, “Gee, I thought a writer would be some big, intelligent person.”

Journalist Jim Minter, class of 1947, was the first reporter to cover the Atlanta Falcons, was appointed executive sports editor of the Atlanta Journal in 1965 and became managing editor of the Atlanta Constitution in 1970. Minter and his wife, Ann Taylor, and their sons, Rob and Rick, are Fayette County High School graduates, and they have a granddaughter attending their alma mater now.

“The nicest honor can only come from `home folks' because they know who you really are,” said Minter.