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| CBC legends Louise “Scottie” Stephenson (left) & J.D. Lewis will be posthumously inducted into the Raleigh Hall of Fame in September. |
When the Raleigh Hall of Fame inducts its sixth round of honorees this fall, two Capitol Broadcasting legends will be among the distinguished group. Long-time Corporate Secretary Louise “Scottie” Stephenson and celebrated broadcaster J.D. Lewis will be inducted posthumously, well-deserved honors for two of the cornerstones of the Raleigh broadcasting community.
Stephenson worked for CBC for 58 years, ending her employment only with her death in April of 2002. She changed the diapers of current President & CEO Jim Goodmon and helped his grandfather, A.J. Fletcher make and win the plea in Washington, D.C. to get WRAL-TV the first VHF television license in the Triangle. In fact, she was the only woman on the five-person team. Stephenson worked for CBC longer than any person in the history of the company, including founder A.J. Fletcher. She was the first employee on WRAL-TV’s payroll. During her career with CBC, she did everything from writing commercials for radio sportscasts to filing FCC reports to being the “Lost & Found” lady on Fred Fletcher’s radio show to serving as Secretary to all of CBC’s wholly-owned subsidiaries.
Scottie Stephenson helped keep Capitol Broadcasting running for almost six decades, helping establish WRAL-TV and much more. |
The Raleigh Hall of Fame cited Stephenson as “Pioneering matriarch of Capitol Broadcasting Company, patron of the arts, champion of the under-privileged and a vital force in Raleigh’s business, civic and social communities, she is famous for her leadership in winning Raleigh’s first VHF license and memorialized through the naming of the Louise “Scottie” Scott Stephenson Amphitheatre at the Raleigh Little Theatre.”
J.D. Lewis became a Raleigh staple first on radio and then on television, with a long list of “the first African-American to do” a variety of things and fill a variety of roles. Raleigh viewers flocked to their television sets to watch Lewis’ Teenage Frolics, a local music & dance show in the vein of Soul Train & American Bandstand, which debuted in 1958. He later became the first Human Resources Director at CBC and went on to become Director of Minority Affairs. Beyond the walls of CBC Lewis worked diligently in the community helping, leading and inspiring others.
J.D. Lewis broke barriers on both radio and television and kept the Triangle entertained all at the same time. |
The Raleigh Hall of Fame calls Lewis a “trailblazing broadcaster, effective community activist, mentor and role model for countless youth, matchless leader of the Garner Road YMCA.” Lewis retired from CBC in 1997, after 43 years of dedicated service. He died in February of 2007.
The 6th annual Raleigh Hall of Fame Celebration will take place on Tuesday, September 28, 2010, at Raleigh Convention Center.
Stephenson & Lewis will join an esteemed group of CBC’ers in the Raleigh Hall of Fame including founder A.J. Fletcher, Fred Fletcher, and Jim & Barbara Goodmon.
