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Robin S. Lattimore, of Rutherfordton, was honored by the North Carolina Society of Historians with two of the organization's highest awards during a ceremony in Wilkesboro, on November 8, 2025.
Lattimore received the North Carolina History Book Award for his book Rutherfordton-Spindale Central High School: Home of the Hilltoppers 1925-2025, and the Paul Green Multi-Media Award for the companion, hour-long documentary film R-S Central High School: A Centennial Celebration.
"Mr. Lattimore has a reputation for producing first-rate, scholarly books and related materials," said Dr. Maxine McCall, president of the NCHS. "He is one of this state's most accomplished and prolific writers. His books are real treasures. It is an honor to recognize him for his incredible work."
Lattimore's 472-page, hardcover book was published by the Rutherford County Historical Society, and funded, in part, by the Stonecutter Foundation. The book was designed by Dale Snyder. The companion film, written and directed by Lattimore, was produced by videographer Chad Medford.
Lattimore is the author of more than 45 books and scholarly monographs that celebrate the people, places, and traditions of the American South. His publishers include the University Press of Mississippi, the University of North Carolina Center for Public Media, and Shire Books (Bloomsbury Publishing), of London, England. In addition, he served as the chief historian and commentator for the Emmy-nominated, PBS documentary film Gold Fever & the Bechtler Mint, produced by UNC-TV and released nationally in 2012.
Lattimore, who serves as an Official Historian of Rutherford County, and president of the Rutherford County Historical Society, has received the North Carolina History Book Award on three occasions in the past 20 years. He was named the North Carolina Historian of the Year, by the NC Society of Historians, in 2009, and was bestowed the legendary Order of the Long Leaf Pine, North Carolina's highest civilian honor, in 2013.
The North Carolina Society of Historians was formed in December 1941, on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Since the early days of World War II, the organization has presented awards annually to individuals and organizations who research, write and publish the history of North Carolina and its citizens. The organization supports the teaching of the state's history at all levels, and encourages the preservation and promotion of North Carolina's historical sites, battlefields, institutions, homes, buildings, and monuments.
