CBC Pays Tribute to Memory of Corporate Secretary Scottie Stephenson

NC artists Sarah Blakeslee completed this portrait of Scottie Stephenson in 1994.

A new portrait now hangs in the lobby of Capitol Broadcasting Company's corporate headquarters near downtown Raleigh. A chalk depiction of Corporate Secretary Scottie Stephenson has taken its rightful place among the portraits of CBC founder A.J. Fletcher, his son and former CBC President Fred Fletcher, and Mr. A.J.'s grandson and current President & CEO Jim Goodmon.

In 1994, Capitol Broadcasting commissioned the portrait by North Carolina artist Sarah Blakeslee. The portrait had hung in Stephenson's home since its completion in 1994, but Goodmon requested the family let CBC place the portrait in the lobby as a permanent tribute. They graciously obliged.

CBC's Board of Directors also passed the following resolution on Wednesday, May 15, 2002, as a permanent nod to the company's First Lady:

CAPITOL BROADCASTING COMPANY, INC. BOARD OF DIRECTORS' RESOLUTION

The Board acknowledges the great loss to the Capitol Broadcasting family on the recent death of Louise" Scottie" Stephenson and requests that the following be made a part of the minutes of the meeting:

Scottie Stephenson's support, loyalty and steadfast concern about the company and her colleagues will be a loss difficult to reconcile. For more than 50 years Scottie served tirelessly as Corporate Secretary for Capitol Broadcasting. Her dedication to the company stretches back to the time when Capitol struggled successfully, with her special help, to secure the television license for WRAL TV. Scottie's approach to her work was direct and effective. With grace and wit, she worked to make Capitol a successful and distinguished broadcast company.

Everyone who knew Scottie was captured by her integrity and charm. She was a great friend. Though many people today are credited with "wisdom" only a few actually possess it. Scottie was a rare individual whose wisdom came abundant and naturally from a combination of experience, intellect, patience and compassion. Those of us who were privileged to work with Scottie are grateful beneficiaries of that wisdom and compassion. We had the opportunity to be better people through Scotties example, and we pay tribute today to the memory of our gentle colleague and generous friend.

The portrait hangs in the front lobby among those of the company's founder, his son and grandson.

As a further tribute, Stephenson's reserved parking space at the corporate headquarters, given to her as a gift for so many years of service, will permanently be marked as hers. An up-front spot in the new parking lot at the renovated WRAL-TV building will also bear her name as a permanent reminder of the principles she instilled in the media company.

Stephenson died on Monday, April 15, 2002, after serving the company for 58 years. She did everything from keeping corporate records to playing the lost and found lady in the early years of WRAL radio.