Lever Hall of Fame Class of 2023

Sharon Grice

Sharon Grice got her Extension career started in 1985 and worked with the Marion County 4-H program for 34 years — and says she enjoyed every minute.

As proof, Grice offers that retirement didn’t exactly suit her at first.

“The first time I retired I told the director that sometimes I think I need to pay Extension for giving me a job,” she said. “Because I loved it so much.”

Grice received numerous awards for her faithful service to her community, including the South Carolina Achievement in Service Award, Distinguished Service Award, Continued Excellence in 4-H Award Meritorious 4-H Award and South Carolina 4-H State Director Award. Grice also received a Resolution from the South Carolina Senate in 2019 for her outstanding work in Marion County.

Grice worked for South Carolina 4-H from 1985 to 2012 and was then rehired part time from 2012 to 2019. In nominating Grice, former South Carolina 4-H State Director Pam Ardern said, “Sharon was best known for her enthusiasm and caring spirit. She wanted to provide the youth of Marion County programs that would benefit them the most. By the time she retired, everyone in Marion County knew Ms. Sharon.”

Powell Smith

As an entomology specialist, Powell Smith saw many of the problems around the state in vegetable pest management personally and was the “face of Clemson” on numerous farms around the state, according to Extension Research Associated Justin Ballew, who was a co-nominator of Smith’s along with Zack Snipes, whom he met while interning for Smith.

“To say that he gave us a second education would be kind of an understatement,” Ballew said. “We learned a ton about producing food and vegetable crops, and we learned a lot about insects and plant disease, but probably the biggest thing that Zack and I took away from working with Powell was a love for Extension work.”

During his career, Smith worked extensively with Extension agents to bring modern practices to smaller growers and limited-resource growers. He made many rewarding contacts with these growers and helped them learn to grow healthy crops in a sustainable fashion.

“I’ve seen a lot of change in South Carolina — socially, agriculturally and environmentally — and any agent that’s worked 30 years could probably say the same. We all should be proud that we were able to help make that change possible,” Smith said.

Amos Wells

Amos Wells spent 30 years in the Extension service from 1965-95 and impacted his community in numerous ways — notably helping to establish a local farmers market so that small farmers could sell directly to consumers, which would increase their bottom line.

Wells also headed up a special programs committee to help low-income individuals throughout Anderson County and provided Simplified Farm Records in-service training for small farmers. Other programs Wells participated in throughout the county included “Community Cupboard” for church pastors and other leaders in the community and several free garden clinics.

“It’s not an 8-to-5 job; you work until the job is done. … As I think back and reflect back, Extension has changed the look of rural America throughout South Carolina. When you look at farmland and rural America used to have rundown houses, and now they’re nice-looking houses with yard lights, the fences now, they have use of herbicides and pesticides, our field days will demonstrate the latest equipment to show folks how they can improve themselves — and it’s helped to make life a lot better.”

Jack Whetstone

During his 33-year tenure with the Clemson Cooperative Extension Service, Jack Whetstone can be credited with propelling Clemson to its leadership position in South Carolina in aquaculture, fisheries and pond management outreach.

Seeking out his expertise, Jack has been asked to represent Clemson Extension on regional and national advisory boards on aquatic plant management and aquaculture, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

“Jack is the epitome — like the other honorees today — of an Extension agent. Jack is one of those people who, no matter who you are or what you need or what level of education you have, Jack can talk to you and can teach to you how to do things better and help you improve yourself and help the community,” Clemson Vice President of Clemson Public Service and Agriculture George Askew said.

Whetstone accepted his induction by sharing a story of former Clemson dean and professor, Luther P. Anderson, from the onset of his Extension career that he says stuck with him throughout.

“Dr. Anderson used to say, ‘You know what’s interesting about Clemson University is that we don’t have one front door. We have a front door in every county and every experiment station and at the university,’” Whetstone recalled. “So, Clemson is there for the people of the state of South Carolina.”