Alabama Academy of Honor to induct three new members October 28

Montgomery, AL (10/24/24) -
The Alabama Academy of Honor will welcome three new members in a ceremony at 11:00am on Monday, October 28, 2024, in the Old House Chamber of the State Capitol in Montgomery. The ceremony is open to the public.

Established in 1965, the Academy bestows honor and recognition upon living Alabamians for their outstanding accomplishments and service to the state and the nation. Membership is limited to 100 distinguished Alabamians and all of Alabama's living governors. In the course of the Academy's history, more than 260 members have been elected, recognizing men and women from a wide variety of backgrounds and areas of achievement.

This year's inductees comprise an outstanding group of Alabama leaders. The honorees include athlete, broadcaster, and business owner Charles Barkley (inducted in absentia); attorney and former Alabama Supreme Court Justice Champ Lyons, Jr.; and president and CEO of Great Southern Wood Holdings, Inc., James W. "Jimmy" Rane.

Academy of Honor member and former U.S. Senator Richard C. Shelby will offer remarks during the induction ceremony.

Brief biographical information about the 2024 inductees follows:

Charles Barkley distinguished himself as a standout athlete on the Auburn Tigers basketball team from 1981 to 1984, leading the Southeastern Conference (SEC) in rebounds and garnering numerous accolades, including the 1984 SEC Player of the Year, three All-SEC selections, and a Second Team All-American designation. In 1984, Barkley was drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers, beginning a 16-year career that would establish him as one of the greatest players in National Basketball Association (NBA) history. After retiring from professional basketball, Barkley transitioned to broadcasting in 2000, joining Turner Network Television (TNT) as an NBA analyst. During his 21-year tenure as a sports journalist and commentator for TNT, he also won an Emmy award. He is a key figure on the popular post-game show Inside the NBA. Barkley is the majority owner of the Alabama-based Redmont Distilling Company, LLC. Through a remarkable career, Charles Barkley continues to leave his mark both on and off the court as a businessman, analyst, philanthropist, and cultural icon.

Champ Lyons, Jr. served as a law clerk to United States District Judge Daniel H. Thomas from 1965 to 1967.
For the next nine years, he practiced law in Montgomery with the firm of Capell, Howard, Knabe & Cobbs. In 1976, Lyons co-founded Helmsing, Lyons, Sims & Leach in Mobile and practiced with the firm until 1998. During his years of practice, Lyons served on the Alabama Supreme Court Advisory Committee on Rules of Civil Procedure. He was a member of the first Advisory Committee on Rules for the newly created Alabama district courts and served as principal author of the district court rules and small claims court rules, as well as the Alabama Rules of Civil Procedure Annotated. In January 1998, Lyons became Legal Advisor to Gov. Fob James Jr., who soon thereafter appointed him to fill a vacancy on the Alabama Supreme Court. After two successful statewide campaigns for reelection, he retired from the Court in 2011. After his retirement, Gov. Kay Ivey appointed Lyons as chairman of the Governor's Study Group on Criminal Justice Policy, a committee charged with considering issues of criminal-justice reform. He continues to serve as a supernumerary associate justice on the Alabama Supreme Court.

James W. "Jimmy" Rane serves as Chairman, President, and CEO of Great Southern Wood Holdings, Inc., a company that he nurtured from a defunct wood-treating plant in Abbeville to an internationally recognized holding company with a diverse portfolio of subsidiaries and affiliates. Perhaps best known among the family of companies is Great Southern Wood Preserving, Inc. (GSWP), producers of YellaWood® pressure-treated pine products. Rane is actively involved in many civic and educational organizations, including serving on the Auburn University Board of Trustees, and he has been recognized with numerous honors. These include membership in the Alabama Independent School Hall of Fame, Dothan Business Hall of Fame, Alabama Business Hall of Fame, and Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. Rane has been named Marion Military Institute Alumnus of the Year and Alabama Broadcasters Association Citizen of the Year, and he has earned the Business Alabama Lifetime Achievement Award. He also received the Johnny Stallings Award for his work on behalf of individuals with special needs. A member of both the Alabama Bar Association and the American Bar Association, Rane served as a Henry County Judge from 1973 to 1977.

For more information about the Alabama Academy of Honor or the Oct. 28th ceremony, visit www.alabamaacademyofhonor.org or contact Tunisia Thomas at [email protected] 334-242-4441.

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.