How a 93-Year-Old Community Leader Is Shaping the Future of Agricultural Education at the SC Governor’s School for Agriculture at John de la Howe
- Abigail Cannon
- 5 days ago
- 6 min read
Bobby Edmonds, historian, engineer, and lifelong McCormick County leader, honors his legacy with the Bobby Franc & Lady Kay Edmonds Scholarship through the John de la Howe School Foundation.
At 93 years old, Bobby Edmonds is a man whose life has shaped McCormick County for generations. Through engineering, public service, historical preservation, agriculture, and community leadership, his influence reaches across the region.
When he established the Bobby Franc & Lady Kay Edmonds Scholarship through the John de la Howe Foundation to support students of the South Carolina Governor’s School for Agriculture, he ensured that the legacy he built with his beloved wife, Kathryn (affectionately known as Lady Kay), would continue uplifting young people long into the future.
For Bobby, giving is more than philanthropy. It is the continuation of a story that began nearly seventy years ago, when a boy found wonder on the grounds of John de la Howe, and later returned with the woman he loved.
Where a Young Man Found Wonder — And Years Later, Found His Wife
Bobby still remembers running his fingers across the carved letters of the old tomb at John de la Howe when he was about twelve. Already fascinated by Dr. John de la Howe and his own Huguenot ancestry, he felt an unexpected spark.
“It felt magical,” he says. “Like I was touching the past.”
That moment stayed with him as he grew up, worked in agriculture, and later began a long engineering career.
As a young man, he met Kathryn—warm, steady, and destined to become a beloved educator. Over time, he began affectionately calling her “Lady Kay,” a nickname that would stay with her for life. As their courtship deepened, he brought her to the tomb that had captivated him as a boy and proposed.
In 1954, they married in the historic McKissick Chapel on the John de la Howe campus, a place Bobby still speaks of with reverence. It became the backdrop of the earliest chapters of their life together.
The historic John de la Howe tomb, where a childhood curiosity later became the backdrop for Bobby’s proposal to Kathryn.
Bobby and Kathryn as young people, long before their shared legacy would shape McCormick County for generations.
The historic McKissick Chapel, site of Bobby and Kathryn’s wedding in 1954 and a cherished part of the school’s legacy.
From there, his bond with the school only grew. Years later, he authored John de la Howe and the Governor’s School for Agriculture at John de la Howe, one of more than eighteen books he wrote, most of them dedicated to preserving the history and stories of McCormick County.
A Life Devoted to Service, Stewardship, and Community Leadership
Bobby’s professional career began in engineering, where he built a reputation for integrity, problem-solving, and dedicated leadership. Over more than forty years, he rose to become the resident engineer for McCormick County and the surrounding areas, shaping critical infrastructure and strengthening communities.
After retiring from engineering, he poured his energy into preserving McCormick County’s heritage. He restored historic buildings, cultivated farmland, mentored youth, and authored numerous books documenting the region’s history and people. His work helped shape the county's cultural identity.
Lady Kay, meanwhile, devoted her life to children. She tutored struggling students, encouraged those overlooked by others, and believed fiercely in every child’s potential. One boy she once mentored, dismissed by some as “unteachable”, grew up to become a successful business owner and returned years later to thank her.
Together, Bobby and Lady Kay lived a life shaped by learning, service, and compassion. Their endowed scholarship is a continuation of that shared purpose.
A Meeting That Changed Everything
For years, Bobby and Lady Kay searched for a meaningful place to invest a significant philanthropic gift, one that aligned with their shared commitment to agriculture, education, and community.
A meeting in 2020 with Dr. Tim Keown, president of the SC Governor’s School for Agriculture at John de la Howe, changed everything.
After learning about the school’s mission, agricultural programs, and student opportunities, Bobby and Lady Kay left the meeting deeply moved.
“As soon as we crossed the bridge, we both knew,” Bobby says. “We had found our home.”
Not long after, Lady Kay passed away, delaying, but not diminishing, the gift they had planned together. When Bobby met with Dr. Keown again, he shared the news that he was ready to move forward.
The result was a landmark commitment: annual scholarship awards to students pursuing agriculture, South Carolina’s largest economic sector.
A love story became a legacy story. And a community leader became a mission-defining scholarship donor.
Honoring Heritage While Investing in the Future
As a historian and author, Bobby has spent his life documenting the stories and landscapes of McCormick County. To him, John de la Howe has always been more than a school, it has been a community anchor.
“It was always the place for events,” he says. “The heart of our county.”
Today, through the Bobby Franc & Lady Kay Edmonds Scholarship, he helps ensure that the SC Governor’s School for Agriculture at John de la Howe remains a place where future leaders are shaped, students who will steward land, conserve natural resources, support agricultural innovation, and contribute to the strength of South Carolina’s agricultural economy.
“These students are nation builders,” Bobby says proudly.
His scholarship is not only an investment in education, it is an investment in leadership, conservation, and the future of agriculture across the state.
A Leader Whose Influence Reaches Beyond His Own Giving
As President of the McCormick Soil & Water Conservation District, Bobby also guides institutional support for the John de la Howe School Foundation, strengthening the school’s agricultural mission and conservation efforts.
Mentorship played a defining role in Bobby’s early life: a cousin who taught him skills, a supervisor who believed in him, an engineer who opened doors for his future.
Today, he honors those influences by supporting and encouraging students.
He still remembers when a student, Blake Arias, handed him a handwritten thank-you note after receiving an award, a gesture Bobby mentions often.
For him, stewardship is deeply personal. Giving is a way of passing forward the mentorship that shaped his life.
A Legacy of Love, Learning, and Leadership
Bobby and Lady Kay Edmonds spent their lives building, teaching, preserving, and elevating their community. Their endowed scholarship is an extension of that work, ensuring that their values continue shaping generations of students at the SC Governor’s School for Agriculture at John de la Howe.
Their story reminds future supporters that philanthropy begins with connection— to a place, a mission, a memory, or a belief in what young people can become.
As Bobby puts it:
“If I can help these students succeed, even a little, that thrills my soul.”
About the Donor
Bobby Edmonds, 93, has devoted more than seven decades to service and leadership in McCormick County.
Leadership & Service
Resident Engineer for McCormick County & surrounding regions (41 years)
Chairman, McCormick Soil & Water Conservation District
Founder, McCormick County Cattlemen’s Association
Charter Member, McCormick County Forestry Association
Charter Member, McCormick County Historical Society
Member, McCormick County Library Board
Member, South Carolina Photographers Association
Historical & Cultural Contributions
Author of The Making of McCormick County, John de la Howe and the Governor’s School for Agriculture at John de la Howe, and 18 additional books
Historian, photographer, preservation advocate
Honors
Order of the Palmetto, South Carolina’s highest civilian honor
Hall of Fame Inductee, SC Governor’s School for Agriculture at John de la Howe (2022–2023)
National FFA Member since 1945
McCormick High School graduate, Class of 1950
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