Arthur Gerald Lankford

Year Inducted: 2025

Arthur Gerald Lankford was born in Wilkes County on November 16, 1938, to Ona Forester and Jesse McKinley Lankford. His family consisted of an older brother, Burl, and two younger sisters, Marcella and Lucille. He is a graduate of Union Elementary School and West Wilkes High School. While in high school, he played football and was coached by Ray Triplett, and he was awarded two Senior Superlatives - Wittiest and Friendliest. Gerald attended Mars Hill Junior College from 1957 to 1959 and lettered in football. He came home and went to work for his brother as a plumber for Vannoy and Lankford Plumbing. It was during this time he met his future wife, Linda Hall. In 1963, after Mars Hill College became a 4-year school, Gerald returned to play two more Mars Hill football and graduated in 1965 with a BS in Biology and Physical Education and started work on June 1, 1965, for Holly Farms Poultry Industries as a clerk in the Personnel Office. He worked for Holly Farms/Tyson Foods for 35 years, retiring in 2002 as VP of Human Resources.

Gerald always said his biggest success in life, and one he is proudest of is marrying his wife, Linda. They have been married for 58 years. They have three children, Arthur and his wife Jennifer, Ted and his wife Amy, and Fran and her husband Tim. They also have eight grandchildren, Austin, Charlie, Davis, Julia Ruth, Gus, LindaGrace, Turner, and Atticus. Gerald prefers talking about their lives and successes to talking about his own.

Gerald first ran for public office in 1973 and was elected at age 35 to the Wilkes County Board of Commissioners. He served for six years, of which four years he was chairman. During his term, the Commissioners hired the first County Manager, Mr. John Barber. That changed the county government from a board-operated county to a county manager type of government and remains in place today. The Commissioners passed a school bond of 10.7 million dollars to build Wilkes Central High School and North Wilkesboro Elementary School. This bond also provided funds for repairs and upkeep at all other schools. The commissions also helped merge the North Wilkesboro City Schools with the Wilkes County School System.

Gerald ran for a seat on the Wilkes County Board of Education in 1984 and served as Vice Chairman for 4 years.

He joined the North Wilkesboro Presbyterian Church in 1965. He now serves as an Elder, chairs the Congregational Care Committee, and teaches Sunday School for grades one through five. He has been on three mission trips to Mexico and 12 mission trips with the church youth. Gerald also attended a triennial international Presbyterian event at Perdue University in Indiana.

Gerald has been the chairman of the North Wilkesboro ABC Board for the past 12 years and has been a board member since 1980 to present.

Gerald served on the Wilkes County United Way Board from 1975-2023. He served as their fundraising chairman twice and as the Board Chair twice.

Gerald served as a Wilkes Community College Trustee two different times for a totaling 30 years. During his tenure as a Trustee, he served with several presidents, beginning with Dr. Howard Thompson and completing his service with Dr. Jeff Cox. Gerald always served on their Personnel Committee, and he was chairman of the Selection Committee at the time Dr. Gordon Burns and later Dr. Jeff Cox was called to be President of WCC.

Gerald joined the North Wilkesboro Rotary Club in 1966 and is still an active Rotarian. He served as their president in the early 1970’s. He has two favorite jobs in the club. One is that he gets to be in charge of their chicken BBQs, a major fundraiser for them. They have had two BBQs a year for the past 50 years. He estimated they have served 50,000 people and helped raise more than $200,000 which the club has given back to the community. Every chicken Q, Gerald says, “It's the best ever.” His second favorite job is playing Santa Claus in the Christmas Parade, which he has done for 30 years. He loves to spread joy wherever he goes. He is a Paul Harris Fellow and was voted by the club members to be their Wilkes County Citizen of the Year and the club’s distinguished Rotarian of the Year.

Gerald served on the Wilkes General Hospitals Board of Trustees from 1970-2010, serving one term as Chairman.

He currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Wilkes Vocational Services and has been a member since 1973. He is also currently serving as Chairman of the board of ADAP and has been a member of that Board since 1974.

Gerald helped start Wilkes Prison Ministry and served on that Board for 10 years, additionally serving as Chairman for six of those years.
Gerald was Assistant Scoutmaster for 10 years at Millers Creek Methodist Church Boy Scout Association Troop 399, attending Camp Raven Knob for six summers.

After Gerald retired from Tyson Foods, he became a substitute teacher in Wilkes County. He says the hardest job he ever had was teaching Kindergarten at Wilkesboro Elementary School for six weeks. This statement comes from a man who hung chickens at Holly Farms in 1959.
In 2006 Gerald bought Wilkes Hardware, He spent the next 10 years sitting around their pot-bellied stove and talking to customers who came in. He loved to tell the history of that building. Each of his grandfathers worked in that same building in the 1930s when it was a chicken plant. In 2016, he decided it was ok to sell that business and it was time to do what he loved best - volunteering full-time and spending time with his family.