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reflections
Assistant Secretary General William Postell Raiford
For as long as I can remember, my family has always been involved in the Society, but my direct involvement with its activities started in the mid-70’s when I was a teenager, when my parents would host the French Scholar during the summer. My life-long relationship with the French Society was solidified when I was chosen in 1983 to be the first American Scholar. In the same year, I was also admitted as a hereditary member of the North Carolina Society.
My membership in the North Carolina Society of the Cincinnati stems from the genealogical research and diligence of my father, former President General William Russell Raiford, who researched and identified three independent lines for myself and my two older brothers, Richard and David. The fact that each of us is a hereditary member is the result of having a father who enjoyed walking church graveyards and reading courthouse records in eastern North Carolina and southern Georgia.
I represent Capt. John Hodges, Fifth Regiment, North Carolina Continental Line, who was born in Johnston (now Lenoir) County in 1749. He received his commission on May 4, 1776, and was promoted to captain in 1780. Little is known about his military service. Capt. John Hodges served through the end of the war, and he died in 1815 in Lenoir County.
The 2019 spring meeting of the North Carolina Society in Asheville was a special time for our family, as both of my sons, Michael and Jimmy, were elected successor members. Three generations of Raiford members were in
attendance it was a moment that my father had envisioned for several decades.
My own engagement with the Society as a young adult and the opportunity to take part in the scholar program motivated me to give back to the Society. It has been a pleasure and a learning experience for me to serve the General Society
as a member and chairman or co-chairman of the French and American Exchanges, Building & Grounds, and Annual Giving committees.
I have a busy life outside the Society. I studied chemical engineering in college and graduate school, and my career in the chemical industry over the past thirty years has been in technology management and innovation. I still have a few years ahead of me until I retire. This career choice has afforded me the opportunity for global travel, and this is something that I will continue well into retirement with my wife, Kim. My official hobby is playing golf, though I never seem to find enough time to play. Kim and I have been blessed (and very busy) raising our three children, who are now adults starting their own careers.
The friendships that Kim and I have made over three decades is one reason why we keep coming back for more! The Society introduces us to individuals who share a common passion yet are diverse in experiences and opinions. I am always learning something new about the Revolutionary War, the formation of our Society, and the impact that these events have had on our country and government.
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