Casey, Royall to join Wayne elite on Wall of Fame
By Staff Reports
Published in News on October 24, 2010 1:50 AM
The Wayne County Historical Association has announced this year's selections for its Wall of Fame.
Willis Casey and George C. Royall will join the Wall of Fame
at a special reception Saturday, Oct. 30 at 5 p.m. at the Wayne County Museum on William Street.
Royall was born in Goldsboro May 17, 1860 and died April 30, 1943. He was a pioneer business, civic and religious leader of Goldsboro and Wayne County. Among many other civic duties, he was an organizer and the first president of the Goldsboro Chamber of Commerce, serving in the position for 10 years.
Additionally, Royall served on the board of directors for Wayne County Hospital.
He was its chairman during
a massive hospital building
program.
Willis Casey was born in Goldsboro in 1920 and died June 14, 1992.
Casey was swimming coach at N.C. State for 21 years, during which time his teams compiled a 182-25 dual meet record. His 1954 team won the National AAU Outdoor crown.
Known as an innovator and strong leader, Casey devoted 40 years of his life to North Carolina State University, bringing the state athletic program to national prominence as its athletic director for nearly two decades.
Caseys impact was also felt outside of North Carolina, as he coached the 1970 U.S. Olympic champions and served as president of the Carolinas Amateur Athletics Union. In 1985, he was inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame.
The Wayne County Historical Association will be holding a reception in honor of the inductees
at the museum.
The association will also pay special tribute to Mary Johnstone. Mrs. Johnstone and her husband, Andy, were instrumental in the organization of the Wayne County Museum where they met during World War ll when it served as the USO.
A strong supporter of the Downtown Goldsboro Development Corp., she was the coordinator for the book "Heritage of Wayne County," published in 1982.