About

Our History

Foundation for Good Business was founded by Rufus Edmisten to empower young people through mentorship, building life skills, and providing opportunities for growth.

Currently an attorney in private practice, Edmisten was previously North Carolina Secretary of State (1974-1984), North Carolina Attorney General (1988-1996), and ran for Governor in 1984.

Edmisten earned an undergraduate degree in political science with honors at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a J.D. from the George Washington University Law Center in Washington, D.C., where he served on the Law Review. During law school, Edmisten joined the Capitol Hill staff of North Carolina Senator Sam Ervin, where he served as the Counsel to Senator Ervin’s Judiciary Subcommittee on Constitutional Rights and as Chief Counsel and Staff Director of the Subcommittee on Separation of Powers.

In 1973-1974, Edmisten was the Deputy Chief Counsel for the Senate Watergate Committee, which Ervin chaired. With Terry Lenzner, an assistant counsel on the Senate Watergate Committee, Edmisten served the subpoena to the White House for the Watergate tapes.

Finding and Empowering Superkids

The Superkids Scholarship Program has been the Foundation’s primary focus through it’s first 30+ years of existence. The stories of these Superkids and the impact the program has had on their lives are plentiful.

Here’s an except from a News & Observer article by Jim Jenkins from October 2025:

The Superkids Foundation is a part of the Foundation for Good Business, founded more than 30 years ago by Edmisten to promote North Carolina, and to help average citizens, and the Superkids grew out of that after Rufus helped some youngsters along the way, before the Superkids grew into a larger organization with a Board and a scholarship program.

It started, frankly, in Rufus Edmisten’s big heart. One young woman was living in a car. Another was virtually raising herself. There were other stories, heartbreaking stories. Early on, Rufus helped a youngster to go St. Mary’s School, and when he got a call that she was getting an award, he took a couple of friends and one of those friends looked at Rufus when the girl’s name was announced and tears were flowing down his face.

Over the last 32 years, there have been spectacular and inspiring stories of success. One Superkid is a doctor. Others are teachers. Others are professionals in one line of work or another. They are productive citizens. Some have come from nothing.

Please click here to read the full story.

Jenkins also wrote about the program in May 1997. Click here to read his first story.

Founder and Chairman Rufus Edmisten (Center)