Join Chowan University for the Rouson Memorial Lecture on Wednesday, February 4th at 11:00 am in Turner Auditorium as we celebrate the winners of this year’s Minnie Wood Perkins Humanitarian Award, Howard Hunter III, and the Futrell-Ruffin Community Service Award, Lillie Owens-White.

Reverend and Mrs. Rouson were noted Hertford County religious leaders whose legacy of religious stewardship, family values and community service lives on today in the lives of their children, former students, co-workers and county residents.

“The purpose of this event is to recognize Christian values, brotherhood, stewardship, and the importance of family,” stated local historian Alice Eley Jones, “To recognize good Christians who do good deeds for their community.”

This year’s Minnie Wood Perkins Humanitarian Award will honor Howard J. Hunter III, a Democratic member of the North Carolina House of Representatives, representing District 5. He was first elected to the chamber in 2014 after serving ten years on the Hertford County Board of Commissioners. Hunter is also the former President of the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners. Representative Hunter graduated from Chowan University in 1995 and is the owner of Hunter’s Funeral Homes, Inc. in Ahoskie and Murfreesboro. He is married to Wanda Hunter and they have four children.

“Growing up I was blessed to have a mother and a father who were active in the community,” Hunter explains. “My mother was a teacher. My father was a county commissioner first and then a state representative. I know the importance of learning from someone who has been in the battles.”

This year’s Futrell-Ruffin Community Service Award will honor Lillie Owens-White. White, a native of Murfreesboro, NC, was employed with Telamon Corporation as Case Manager II for twenty four years and retired in 1999. Some of Mrs. White’s accomplishments include past Chairman of Hertford County Board of Elections, past Chairman of Hertford County ABC Board and currently remains a member on that board, past Chairman of Murfreesboro Recreational Board and continues to serve on that board today, and lastly, past member of the Board of Trustees at Roanoke Chowan Community College for sixteen years. Today, Mrs. White is Chairman of the Murfreesboro Planning and Zoning Board, Trustee at Shiloh Baptist Church, a member of the C.S. Brown Cultural Arts Center, a member of the Ahoskie Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated, serves on the Community Relations Board for Rivers Correctional Institution, and lastly, Treasurer of Dr. Joseph Weaver’s Scholarship Foundation. Mrs. White, a graduate of Shaw University with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Public Administration, is the mother of two children Amy Owens-Gillus and Steven Owens-deceased, three grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

Please join us on February 4th at 11:00 am as we honor these noteworthy community representatives at the annual Reverend George T. and Luvenia B. Rouson Memorial Lecture. Admission is free and open to the public.