The Wall of Fame was begun by the Wayne County Historical Association in 2002 with well over 150 original applications received. An impartial committee studied the entries and made selections. On January 26, 2003, a celebration was held at the museum and photographs of the original winners were hung. Many of the living "famous" citizens were present. Family members of almost all those selected were present. Since that time, additional persons have been added to the Wall every two or three years.

1. WILLIAM WILEY ANDREWS
October 14, 1886 - January 26, 1971
In 1968, the Goldsboro News-Argus called W. Wiley Andrews "a man who has lived a
full life in public service to Wayne County, North Carolina and the nation and who's
loved every minute of it." He was only 21 years old in 1907 when he was appointed
Road Overseer, responsible for maintenance of dirt roads in Wayne County. His first
office was as a member of the Belfast School Board in 1916, a position he used to push
for a consolidation of Patetown, Salem, Mt. Carmel and Novel Hill schools into one
school located at Belfast.
When the Great Depression began in 1929, Andrews was elected to the N.C. House of
Representatives, where he served five terms. He fought for the McLean Bill, which
placed the responsibility for public school systems on the state. He later served two
governors. William B. Umstead appointed Andrews to the N.C. Water Resources
Commission. Kerr Scott put him on the State Prisons Board, where he worked to
separate the Prison Department from the State Highway Commission.
From 1953-1957, he was an appointee of President Dwight D. Eisenhower to the
President's National Agricultural Advisory Committee, which informed the President on
farm issues. The founder of Wayne Seed Co., Andrews also was Past President of the
N.C. Carolina Cotton Growers Association and a member of its board for 35 years;
Director of N.C. Grange Mutual Insurance; Charter President of the Wayne County
Guernsey Breeders Association (now the Wayne County Livestock Association); and
Charter Member of Belfast Grange #963 and a board member for 20 years. He received
the North Carolina State Grange Distinguished Service Award for Agriculture in 1954.
He and his wife, Lila, had one son.

2. JAMES N. ATKINS, M.D.
With compassion and patience, Dr. Jim Atkins helps his patients face one of our
most feared diseases, cancer.
"He understands that dealing with patients is about more than just dealing with
the body; it's about dealing with the mind, the emotions, the soul," a patient's
daughter wrote.
Born in Northampton, Massachusetts, Atkins graduated from the University of
Massachusetts before attending Bowman Gray School of Medicine in Winston-
Salem. He did his internship and residency in internal medicine at North Carolina
Baptist Hospital in Winston-Salem. He later did a fellowship in
hematology/oncology at Baptist Hospital. For three years, he worked for the
United States Public Health Service in Gallup, New Mexico. In July 1984, he
joined Goldsboro Medical Specialists,P.A. In September 1990, he moved to
Southeastern Medical Oncology Center, where he still has his practice.
He has served as a clinical assistant professor of medicine for Bowman Gray
School of Medicine.
His professional activities have included service as the Medical Director for the
American Cancer Society, Wayne County; as a Principal Investigator and as a
Director, Southeastern Cancer Control Consortium; and on the Steering
Committee for North Carolina Cancer Pain Control Initiative. He has co-authored
many articles for physicians' publications.
He was recently chosen among the Best Doctors 2001-2002
(www.bestdoctors.com), an honor bestowed on doctors whom other physicians
would choose to have treat them and their family members. He and his wife,
Sherry, have two children.