Gordon Hamrick might just be one of the most interesting men in the county.
The 83-year-old Shelby resident, who was recently honored by Rotary for 50 years of perfect attendance, lives in one of Cleveland County’s oldest houses, the Joshua Beam home.
He has been around the world, from the Great Wall of China to London. He was drafted and sent to Korea during the war. And he is a fan and friend of Ronnie Kole, a famous jazz pianist from Louisiana.
Hamrick’s grandfather was the namesake of the E.B. Hamrick building at Gardner-Webb University. “Papa Hamrick,” as he called him, fed the teachers out of his general store in Boiling Springs during the Great Depression. Hamrick’s father was also well known in the community.
“My daddy was known for singing at over 2,000 funerals,” Hamrick said. “In that time, when someone died, they’d call the First Baptist Church and ask for someone to sing.”
Hamrick has books recording all of the funerals where his dad sang, one of which was the funeral of J.P. Smith, grandfather of Ned Smith, a former editor of The Star.
A college runner
In the fall of 1948, Hamrick attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He goofed around at his physical education test, but he was asked to run cross country by the coach.
“They slapped me out there and had me running four miles,” he said.
Later on, Hamrick ran in the Southern Conference.
“I ran freshman cross country, a mile, two miles and cross country. We ran part on the highway. Other times, you ran through the woods,” he said.
Hamrick still has a jacket with three stripes, each of which was earned in a different year of the program. For a few years, he held the state record for a mile.
A Korean service man
After his college years, Hamrick was drafted to Korea.
“I went through basic training at Fort Jackson,” he said.
Because of his typing skills, Hamrick was able to work in the office, doing morning reports to keep up with the movements of the troops. In Pusan, he stayed in huts with horrible conditions. He said they had a house boy who would clean their huts during the day and go to school at night.
“I knew right then Korea was coming back,” he said.
He also remembers visiting Japan in 1954 and seeing Hiroshima.
“I could see that one building that still stood,” he said. “Everything else was flat.”
A salesman
Then he came back to the United States. He lived in Atlanta from 1956 to 1960, but he returned to Shelby in January of 1960.
“My daddy wanted me home,” Hamrick said.
So he and his brother took over a drug company in Shelby, to sell supplies to hospitals and drug stores. The store was called Kendall Medicine Company, after its original founder, Henry E. Kendall.
“We could have anything delivered to a drug store by noon, if the order came in the night before,” he said of the store. “It was well-done.”
The orders could ship out as far as Myrtle Beach. They dealt with many orders, including tobacco and sundries, such as candy and gum. Over the years, he and his brother won multiple sales contests.
“My brother did a magnificent job getting all those manufacturers,” he said.
In 1994, they sold the company, and Hamrick retired the next year.
A faithful Rotarian
Over the years, he has done a great deal of traveling, which has coincided with his Rotary Club experiences. He joined the Rotary in 1960 and has attended without fail for 50 years.
“I made it a point to attend,” he said.
He also received a distinguished Rotarian award in 2009-10. Hamrick said the Rotary is popular in other countries.
“The Rotary is well thought of in Europe. It’s really noticed,” he said. “If you go to a Rotary with a pin on, they’ll recognize that.”
When he travels, Hamrick is sure to attend the Rotary wherever he may be. He has been to Hong Kong, London, Bangkok and Jabar, India, to name a few.
“When you meet in other countries, you learn a lot,” he said.
Not slowing down
Although Hamrick has had four heart attacks, eight stents, and a lot of medicine, he hasn’t let it slow him down.
He still serves on the board of trustees at Cleveland Community College and on the alumni board at Chapel Hill.
Recently, he received a plaque for his house to be placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Last Sunday, Hamrick returned home from a month-long cruise to Europe. He traveled to London, Paris, Normandy, Geneva, Venice and Barcelona.
When he is home, he likes to spend time in his front room.
“I like to sit in here, have a few hors d’oeuvres, talk over the day with some friends,” he said.
Reach Molly Phipps at 704-669-3339 or mphipps@shelbystar.com.