L’Esprit Huguenot Awards Presented

At the Society’s annual Anniversary Meeting held on April 3, 2025 two awards were presented. In 2000, the Officers of the Huguenot Society of South Carolina created the L’Esprit Huguenot award to be given annually to an individual (or individuals) whose efforts have made a significant contribution to the preservation of the history of the Huguenots and the principles and virtues they embodied. Below are the prepared remarks for each recipient to whom awards were presented by the Society’s President, Jack Williams.

Thomas Keith Gourdin

Our first award today goes to a quiet, unassuming genius. There is no other way to put it. If you know him, you will know that he likely won’t love the spotlight shown on him today, but we are going to honor him,  nonetheless. This gentleman has spent his lifetime studying not only his own Huguenot ancestry, but that of the many Huguenot families of Berkeley. He also has devoted his research, time and personal efforts to:  preserving historic properties, documents, and relics of the Huguenots and their descendants, and working to have markers installed along our highways and byways to note Huguenot points of history as well as their descendants. 

I am speaking of our member Mr. Keith Gourdin who has been a devoted member of our Society for seventeen years. He joined under ancestors Louis Gourdin and Mary Ann Cordes but he has several direct Huguenot ancestral lines. 

Keith was raised on a farm in Berkeley and learned from his father the importance of conservation, protecting, and planning for the future. He married Betty Harris in 1960, and they had two children, a daughter Keely who is with him today and a son Christopher who lives in Irmo. Keith is a proud grandfather as well.  While dear Betty passed in 2023, we can be sure she would be celebrating with us today. Keith has made his home in Pineville for over 85 years, living in the historic home built by his grandfather. 

If you have ever had the good fortune of attending one of Keith’s talks or visiting his library in his home you know how knowledgeable he is on everything to do with Huguenots and their descendants in Berkeley and how generous he is with his knowledge. He has written countless articles on Huguenot history and the history of many descendants for The Berkeley Independent and the Post and Courier. And he maintains a website By Gone Berkeley that features numerous articles. He recently gifted the Society with his book “Historical Markers of Berkeley County” – a book which he has provided free of charge to schools and libraries across the country.  

While attention, due to the SC 250, has grown regarding historic American Revolutionary sites, Keith, a 250 Committee member, has worked for years prior to the committee to identify and verify the history behind sites in Berkeley County. Many, if not all, of the sites and history he has worked on include Huguenot descendants. 

 Keith has been a dedicated supporter of the Society, especially since the pandemic and he has been a valued sounding board for our Executive Director – including being instrumental in the development of the first Fete last year which featured Pineville and the surrounding area. His support and belief in their work has meant a great deal to our staff at the Society. 

Keith was awarded the Order of the Palmetto in 2023 and it gives me great pleasure to recognize him for his lifelong efforts to preserve and share the history of the Huguenots and their descendants with our Society’s highest award, the L’ Esprit Huguenot award. Please join me in thanking Keith. 

Keith Gourdin Award Recipient

David DuBose, Keith Gourdin, Linda and Cleve Gillette

Thanks to Keely!

Our thanks to Keith’s daughter, Keely, for helping us plan this surprise and making sure her father could attend! Pictured: Keith Gourdin, Linda Gillette, Elizabeth Gay and Keely Tracy.

Dr. Richard Dwight Porcher, Jr.

Our second award today also goes to an octogenarian who has been a member of the Society since Apr 10, 1975, 50 years ago almost to the day! We will have a toast with Huguenot punch to that! He joined under ancestors Isaac Porcher and Claude de Cherigny, and like Keith, has numerous Huguenot ancestral lines.  

We have a blessing of riches to celebrate today as we have two of the finest gentlemen in the state devoted to history and preservation. I speak now of Dr. Richard Porcher, Jr. If you have ever heard his voice, you know it is easy to recognize and it means you are in for a great education. Richard is an acclaimed biologist, historian, naturalist, author, conservationist, lecturer and teacher. His family has been part of the agrarian fabric of Berkeley County for centuries. 

After graduating USC with his PhD., Richard Porcher taught for three years at Voorhees College and then for 33 years was a professor and researcher at The Citadel  One of the first things he did after retiring was to enroll in the College of Charleston and The Citadel’s joint graduate history program. He wanted to learn how to think and write like an historian in order to better tell the story of man’s relationship to plants. 

Richard lives in Mt. Pleasant where he grows blueberries and camellias, and spends much of his time on his farm in Clarendon County where he grows Long Leaf Pines and wildflowers. He has two children, three grandchildren, countless friends and many cousins. He’s written or co-authored seven books one of which is a valuable resource for Huguenot study… Our Lost Heritage: A Cultural History of the People and Plantations of Middle St. John’s Parish in Berkeley County.  The Society is pleased to have his book in its permanent collection.  He is currently writing two more books. While one is on rare plants and wildflowers, the other will include history of interest to us all.  It will be South Carolina's Forgotten Landscape, A Cultural History of Old St. John's Berkeley which is Middle and Upper St. John's, most of which was lost to the creation of Lake Moultrie and Lake Marion. 

And he is not slowing down.  Richard is embarking now on the Santee Delta Project which will combine archeology, history, engineering and botanical studies to fully tell the story of the rice culture in the delta. Many of our ancestors lived along the Santee and were part of the rice culture there and we will be following closely as the project team progresses with their research.  

Richard has been strong supporter of the Society and is always willing to help. He has been especially generous this year as he will be hosting a portion of our events on Saturday in the Santee Coastal Reserve. “Just tell me where you need me and I’ll do it” is his reply when our staff asks him for help. It is this level of enthusiasm for our work and our team that is so important to the success of our Society, and we are truly grateful. 

Richard was awarded the Order of the Palmetto in 2019 and it gives me great pleasure to award him with the Society’s highest award, the L’ Esprit Huguenot award.  Please join me in thanking Richard for his lifetime of work and support of our Society. 

Richard Porcher Award Recipient

Tanneguy Frain de la Gaulayrie, Eva Ravenel, Bishop Ravenel, Richard Porcher and Rick Wilson

Thanks to Elizabeth…

We appreciate Elizabeth Britton helping us prepare the surprise for Dr. Porcher. Here they are pictured together at the annual Anniversary Meeting.