Order of the Long Leaf Pine

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The Order of the Long Leaf Pine, created in 1965, is the highest civilian honor that can be granted in the U.S. state of North Carolina.The pine is the official state tree of North Carolina.^[1] As of Dec 31, 2006, the Order has been awarded to 6,672 individuals. ^[2]

The Order of the Long Leaf Pine is among the most prestigious awards presented by the Governor of North Carolina. The Order of the Long Leaf Pine is presented to individuals who have a proven record of extraordinary service to the state. Contributions to their communities, extra effort in their careers, and many years of service to their organizations are some of the guidelines by which recipients are selected for this award.

Past recipients include Michael Jordan, ^[3] Charles Kuralt, Maya Angelou, the Rev. Billy Graham, Rick Hendrick, William C. Friday, novelist and cartoonist Doug Marlette, poet Fred Chappell, university chancellor Lloyd V. Hackley ^[4] and artist Bob Timberlake. A state employee can be awarded The Order if the employee has contributed more than 30 years of dedicated and enthusiastic service to the state of North Carolina. Retired recipients include former community college system associate vice president Kenneth L. Whitehurst^[5] who helped create the system's network of Learn and Earn^[6] Early College High Schools under North Carolina Gov. Mike Easley and North Carolina Community College System president H. Martin Lancaster.

This certificate is most often presented when a person retires.

The certificate reads in part:

"Reposing special confidence in the integrity, learning and zeal of [honoree], I [the Governor of North Carolina] do by these presents confer The Order of the Long Leaf Pine with the rank of Ambassador Extraordinary, privileged to enjoy fully all rights granted to members of this exalted order, among which is the special privilege to propose the following North Carolina toast in select company anywhere in the free world:"

Here's to the land

of the long leaf pine,

The summer land

Where the sun doth shine,

Where the weak grow strong

and the strong grow great,

Here's to 'down home,'

the Old North State! ^[7]

This is the first verse of the official toast of North Carolina, from a poem by Leonora Martin and Mary Burke Kerr.

The Order is similar to honors bestowed in other states, such as the Kentucky colonel and South Carolina's Order of the Palmetto.

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