Hugh Morton (1921-2006) was owner of Grandfather Mountain and received numerous awards for public service, conservation efforts, and journalistic contributions to his native state of North Carolina. He was a 2003 recipient of the John Tyler Caldwell Award for the Humanities, the highest honor given by the North Carolina Humanities Council. Selections of his photographs have appeared in numerous magazines and hang in nearly every visitor center along North Carolina's highways. His books include Hugh Morton's North Carolina, The ACC Basketball Tournament Classic (with Smith Barrier), and Making a Difference in North Carolina (with Ed Rankin).
