South Carolina Humanities has announced that its former, longtime Executive Director Dr. Randy Akers has been named a recipient of the Order of the Palmetto.

The longest-serving director of any state humanities council in the nation, Dr. Akers served as Executive Director of South Carolina Humanities from 1988-2025.

During his tenure as Executive Director, Dr. Akers helped to launch transformative initiatives such as the South Carolina Awards in the Humanities, the statewide Humanities Festival, the South Carolina Book Festival, and the Smithsonian-affiliated Museum on Main Street program which has brought world-class exhibits to rural communities

Dr. Akers also spearheaded the development of The South Carolina Encyclopedia, raising over $1 million to make the landmark publication pos

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