Dream of fame is a long haul

Robert Poole is no Gordon Smith.

Smith is a former Peace Corps volunteer turned Triangle Business Journal Man of the Year who had a dream of building a children's museum about the world.

When that dream took shape in the form of Exploris, Smith had the money and the political connections to make it happen.

Poole, by contrast, is a soft-spoken single guy who lives a quiet life in West Raleigh.

He has a cup of coffee every morning at Cup A Joe at Mission Valley shopping center, then heads to Louisburg College, where he's the guy who lines up entertainment coming to the school's auditorium -- and makes sure the lights are right, the floors are clean and the seats are in working order.

Poole has no money to speak of, and precious few connections, save a meeting he finagled with former UNC President Bill Friday.

But like Smith, he has a dream.

For years now, Poole has been working on a proposal for a North Carolina Hall of Fame.

In fact, several years ago, when he was working at the North Carolina Museum of History, he made a proposal for one.

But given budget constraints, the museum's leadership preferred his simpler idea of pulling an old still out of storage and making a small display on the history of moonshine in this state.

It's another exciting exhibit at a less-than-scintillating museum about a subject that is actually full of stories and fascinating personalities.

Unfortunately, at our history museum, even the N.C. Sports Hall of Fame is a sleeper.

So Poole acknowledges that expanding the hall of fame concept -- and making it interesting and engaging --would be challenging and expensive.

"But think of all the amazing people who have come from this state," he said.

There are the obvious superstars: Jesse Helms, Billy Graham, Michael Jordan and Clay Aiken. (Just kidding!)

But there are also the lesser-known gems that help tell the story of this state.

Take the story of Ronnie Milsap, born without sight in Robbinsville. At age 6, he was sent to the Governor Morehead School in Raleigh, where he was disciplined harshly but received strict training in classical music. In the '70s, Milsap became one of the nation's most popular recording artists, with 40 No. 1 hits.

Or take the story of Floyd Patterson. Born into poverty Jan. 4, 1935, in Waco, N.C., Patterson began boxing while at a reform school. In 1952, he won an Olympic gold medal. And on Nov. 30, 1956, he knocked out Archie Moore to become the youngest world heavyweight champion in history.

Poole loves that one.

Since he has been turned down more than once by the history museum, Poole now likes to imagine the hall of fame on Fayetteville Street.

"It would be great near the new convention center, to attract people downtown," he said.

Unlike Gordon Smith, Poole doesn't expect his connections, much less cash, to get this thing off the ground.

He doesn't expect to be named man of the year.

But since it's his idea, he would like a job.

He's a dreamer, with realistic expectations.