William Hickman Morton (1864–1950)
1926 South Carolina Chess Champion
Dr. William Hickman Morton became the first South Carolina Chess Champion, winning the inaugural championship on July 26, 1926, held at the Y.M.C.A. in Columbia, SC, where he was also elected the first president of the newly founded South Carolina Chess Association (SCCA). A Spartanburg resident and academic, Morton served as a professor of physics and astronomy at Converse College for 35 years, having studied at Central University in Kentucky, the University of Chicago, and Columbia University. He received an honorary doctorate from Presbyterian College in 1920 and was a respected elder in Spartanburg’s First Presbyterian Church. Morton’s 1926 victory and leadership role established him as a foundational figure in South Carolina chess history. He passed away on February 18, 1950, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
James Henry Rice Jr. (1868–1935)
1927 South Carolina Chess Champion
James Henry Rice Jr. won the South Carolina Chess Championship in 1927, held at the Fort Sumter Hotel--now the Fort Sumter House--in Charleston, becoming the state’s second champion. Born on July 2, 1868, near Ninety Six, South Carolina, at Riverlands Plantation, he graduated from Ninety Six High School and South Carolina College (now University of South Carolina), where he studied teaching. After teaching, Rice worked for the Winchesters Arms Company in South America before transitioning to journalism in 1895, serving as editor of the Columbia Evening News and Colonial Records of South Carolina, and as an editorial writer for The State and Charleston News and Courier. His writing focused on South Carolina’s flora, fauna, sustainable farming, and environmental issues, earning him recognition as an authority on the state’s bird species. A pioneering conservationist, he advocated for wildlife preservation and wetland protection, serving as South Carolina’s first Chief Game Warden (1911–1913), an inspector for the U.S. Biological Survey (1913–1917), and president of the South Carolina Conservation Society, while also being active in the Audubon Society and American Forestry Association. Known as a Lowcountry gentleman yet a “tough cookie,” Rice authored Glories of the Carolina Coast (1925) and The Aftermath of Glory (1934). Rice passed away on March 24, 1935, at Brick House Plantation in Wiggins, South Carolina, and was buried in Magnolia Cemetery, Charleston. A collection of his papers is archived at the South Caroliniana Library, University of South Carolina, Columbia.
Oliver James Bond (1865–1933)
1928 South Carolina Chess Champion
Col. Oliver James Bond won the South Carolina Chess Championship in 1928, the third annual event, held in Sumter, South Carolina, on July 2-5, 1928 at the Masonic Hall. Representing Charleston, Bond defeated E.B. Hallman of Spartanburg in the final, earning the silver trophy cup presented by the Sumter Chess Club. During the SCCA’s annual meeting on July 6, 1928 Bond was also named President. Born on May 11, 1865, in Marion, South Carolina, Bond graduated from The Citadel in 1886, where he later served as a professor of mathematics, mechanical drawing, and astronomy. He was appointed Superintendent of The Citadel in 1908, a role that transitioned to President in 1921, and led the institution until 1931, earning the distinction of being its last Superintendent and first President. A colonel in the South Carolina Militia, he returned to teaching mathematics at The Citadel for the last two years of his life. Bond passed away on October 1, 1933, in Charleston, South Carolina. Bond Hall, the administration building on The Citadel campus, is named in his honor, and junior cadets trying out for the elite Summerall Guards drill platoon are known as "Bond Volunteers." A collection of his papers is archived at The Citadel Archives & Museum, Charleston.
Benjamin Oswald Johnson (1905–1976)
1929 South Carolina Chess Champion
Benjamin Oswald Johnson won the South Carolina State Chess Championship in 1929, the fourth annual event, held on July 15-16, 1929, at Judd Hall in the Spartanburg Y.M.C.A., Spartanburg, South Carolina. Born on July 31, 1905, in Spartanburg, South Carolina, to United States District Judge Joseph Travis Johnson and Sarah Richardson Anderson, Johnson graduated with honors from Wofford College in 1930. He studied law with his brother Harvey W. Johnson and became a distinguished tax, business, and corporate attorney, serving as counsel for Spartan Mills starting in 1942, later becoming Vice-President and General Counsel. Johnson also acted as a spokesman for South Carolina’s textile industry, testifying before Congressional Committees, and argued cases before the U.S. Supreme Court. A trustee and benefactor of Wofford College, he was also an accomplished bridge player, captaining the American Bridge Team to a World Championship and serving as president of the American Contract Bridge League. Johnson passed away on July 16, 1976, in Spartanburg. The Benjamin Johnson Arena at Wofford College is named in his honor.