Stan Spears, 1955
Stan Spears
In 1955, Stanhope Sifford "Stan" Spears left the halls of Clover High School to do amazing things for his community, his state, and his country. After graduating from high school, Major General Spears went to the University of South Carolina in Columbia where he played football for the USC Gamecocks. Upon graduation, he enlisted in the Air National Guard and served two years before his acceptance to the South Carolina National Guard's Palmetto Military Academy, from which he graduated in 1962. Upon his graduation,he was commissioned as second lieutenant and served for thirty-two years, earning the rank of Brigadier General and achieving the office of Adjutant General of South Carolina.
Major General Spears administered the affairs of the South Carolina Army and National Guard, the Emergency Management Division, the State Guard, Youth Challenge, and Americorp. General Spears has commanded at all levels, which included his first assignment as an armor platoon leader, detachment commander of the state's public affairs unit, commandant of the weekend training site, commander of the 4th battalion, 118th infantry division, state public affairs officer, chief of the state's training division, director of the Palmetto Military Academy, commander of joint forces headquarters, as well as his final position as the Adjutant General of South Carolina.
New ParaMajor General Spears served as the South Carolina Adjutant General for sixteen years. During his service to our state, he led and directed more than thirteen thousand five hundred men and women in the South Carolina Army and Air National Guard. He was also responsible for the oversight of operations of the South Carolina Guard and the South Carolina Emergency Preparedness Division. His position as Adjutant General was unique since South Carolina was the only state in the nation to elect its Adjutant General, for which he was elected four consecutive terms.
In honor of his distinction as a military leader and public servant of the state of South Carolina for over thirty years, the former National Guard Road in Columbia, SC was renamed Stan Spears Drive.
