The Charleston Southern University delegation of the South Carolina Student Legislature introduced a resolution at its spring meeting in Myrtle Beach honoring Lexington County Sheriff James R. Metts.
Introduced by Charleston Southern delegation member Christopher Fudge, the resolution was approved by the entire student legislature. “It felt really good to get it passed, not only because it was the first one I had ever done, but because Sheriff Metts is such an important man in our society,” said Fudge.
The resolution chronicles the career and service of Metts, who began his law enforcement profession as a dispatcher for the West Columbia Police Department in 1967.
Metts earned his bachelor of arts degree and master’s degree in criminal justice, as well as a doctorate in education, from the University of South Carolina. He graduated from the FBI National Academy, as well as the National Sheriff’s Institute and the National Corrections Academy.
At the age of 25, Metts was elected sheriff of Lexington County in 1972, thereby making him the youngest sheriff to be elected in the nation. He was named “Practitioner of the Year” by the Southern Association of Criminal Justice Educators in 1980. He was named “Sheriff of the Year,” a prestigious award given by the South Carolina Sheriff’s Association in 1982. He was awarded the Order of the Palmetto by Gov. David Beasley in 1998 and awarded the Order of the Silver Crescent by Gov. Mark Sanford in 2004.
Sheriff Metts continues to be an innovative member of the law enforcement community, and his support of charities for children – such as the Ronald McDonald House, the American Cancer Society, and the Leukemia Society – has been exemplary. Metts is a member of the board of visitors at Charleston Southern University.
Rhys Hester, the CSU faculty advisor for SCSL, said the CSU delegation was “very pleased to present this resolution honoring him (Metts) before students from across the state, and even more pleased to have the resolution passed by overwhelming support.”
SCSL was founded in 1956 by Douglas Carlisle and includes such notable members as former South Carolina Gov. Robert McNair. SCSL is a student-run mock legislature. Colleges and universities in the state of South Carolina send delegations to two annual sessions to debate bills and further their knowledge about parliamentary procedure and state government.