A former resident of Gonzales Gardens, His Eminence Joseph Cardinal Bernadin, Archbishop of Chicago was inducted into the Wall of Fame for his service and dedication to the community. He is a shining example of how men from poor beginnings can rise to great things. Cardinal Bernadin quickly rose through the ranks of the Catholic Church, to his final appointment as Archbishop of Chicago, and was appointed as a member of the College of Cardinals by Pope John Paul II. On September 9, 1996, President Bill Clinton awarded Cardinal Bernadin the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Cardinal Bernadin passed away in November of 1996 and was inducted posthumously in April of 1997.

A former resident of Saxon Homes Reverend Redfern, II was inducted into the Wall of Fame for his service to the community. Redfern II is the founder of the Ecumenical Church of Christ and a long time civil rights activist in the South Carolina community. Redfern’s contributions to the community include establishing the Association for African-American students at the University of South Carolina, starting Juju Publishing Co. , publishing 7 black newspapers statewide, and organizing the first Residents’ Association for the Saxon Homes Public Housing Community. He also owned and operated FSGM Inc., a food service and ground maintenance company that employed over 600 people.

A former resident of Allen Benedict Court, Dr. Debra Johnson Binns Austin, was inducted into the Wall of Fame for her service to the community. A leading nurse educator, Austin served as an Assistant Professor in the College of Nursing at the University of South Carolina, and as Chair of the Department of Nursing at South Carolina State University (1987-1996), where she continues to serve as a tenured full professor. Her legacy of caring, professional competence is exhibited by her graduates and her daughter, Pamela Michelle Binns, M.D., her most acclaimed accomplishment. Austin’s, parents, Georgia and Drayton Johnson, instilled in her the values of integrity, respect, kindness, and hard work. A former Miss C.A. Johnson (1961-62) and Miss A& T (1965-66), Austin became the first African American in South Carolina to receive a doctoral degree in nursing and certification as a clinical specialist in medical-surgical nursing by the American Nurses Association.