William Kerr Scott | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Scott in 1951 | |
| United States Senator fromNorth Carolina | |
| In office November 29, 1954 – April 16, 1958 | |
| Preceded by | Alton Lennon |
| Succeeded by | B. Everett Jordan |
| 62ndGovernor of North Carolina | |
| In office January 6, 1949 – January 8, 1953 | |
| Lieutenant | Hoyt Patrick Taylor |
| Preceded by | R. Gregg Cherry |
| Succeeded by | William B. Umstead |
| 10thNorth Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture | |
| In office 1937–1948 | |
| Governor | Clyde R. Hoey J. Melville Broughton R. Gregg Cherry |
| Preceded by | William A. Graham III |
| Succeeded by | David S. Coltrane |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1896-04-17)April 17, 1896 |
| Died | April 16, 1958(1958-04-16) (aged 61) |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Mary Elizabeth White |
| Parent |
|
| Education | North Carolina State University (BS) |
| Profession | Agriculture |
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William Kerr Scott (April 17, 1896 – April 16, 1958) was an American politician from North Carolina. A member of theDemocratic Party, he was the62nd governor of North Carolina from 1949 until 1953, and aUnited States senator from 1954 until 1958.
A native ofAlamance County, North Carolina, and a farmer by training, Scott was a lifelong advocate for agricultural issues and became known in his home state as "the Squire of Haw River." He was elected as the state'scommissioner of agriculture, but resigned that post to run for governor in1948. His followers, popularly known as "Branchhead Boys," fervently supported Scott in all his campaigns and remained a force in North Carolina politics for more than a decade following his death.
Scott was born in 1896, the son ofRobert W. Scott and Lizzie Scott. He graduated from Hawfields High School in 1913 and subsequently enrolled in theNorth Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts (nowNC State University), graduating in 1917 with a Bachelor of Science in agriculture. He performed well as a student there, while also runningtrack and volunteering for theYoung Men's Christian Association. After graduating he briefly worked as an emergency food production agent for theUnited States Department of Agriculture. After the United StatesenteredWorld War I, he enlisted as a private in theUnited States Army. For four months he trained with field artillery atCamp Taylor in Kentucky. Shortly before he was due to enroll in officer training school, the war ended and he was discharged from service.[1]
Kerr was the only child in his family who had political ambitions. His father advised him that he should acquire land and develop his agricultural enterprise to ensure that when he sought public office he could campaign without fear of losing his job due to political reprisal. Thus, after he was discharged from the army he borrowed $4,000 from his father and bought 224 acres of land. He cleared it and raised sheep and cattle.[1]
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Scott was inaugurated as Governor of North Carolina on January 6, 1949.[2] As governor, Scott created the "Go Forward" program with approval from the state legislature in 1949. He also signed a $200 million rural road building program, leading to nearly 15,000 additional miles of paved road in the state.[3] Immediately following his term as governor, he represented North Carolina in theUnited States Senate from 1954 to 1958. His son,Bob Scott served as governor from 1969 to 1973, and his granddaughter,Meg Scott Phipps served as North Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture from 2001 to 2003.
Relative to other Southern Democrats, Scott was a moderate regarding racial issues during his time as governor. While he supported segregation, he appointed the first black member of the North Carolina Board of Education, Dr. Harold Trigg, and nominated University of North Carolina PresidentFrank Porter Graham to fill a vacant United States Senate seat in 1949. Graham was regarded as one of the most racially and generally progressive figures in the South, and became victimized by pernicious attacks concerning his views on race relations when he campaigned the following year to maintain his senate seat. In an effort to defend Graham, Scott lent the full weight of his political organization to him and assiduously campaigned across North Carolina. Despite intervention from Scott, President Harry Truman, U.S. House Speaker Sam Rayburn, and others, Graham was defeated by conservative lawyerWillis Smith for the Democratic Party's nomination. The tenor of Willis Smith's campaign was considered so offensive that Scott's wife, First LadyMary White Scott, refused to shake the senator-elect's hand at an Executive Mansion reception.[citation needed] He was succeeded as governor byWilliam B. Umstead on January 8, 1953.[2]
Four years later, when Scott elected to run for the same U.S. Senate seat which had been contested by Graham, he was queried by a local reporter about how his campaign would respond to the race-baiting strategies that are imputed with the loss of his appointee. To this, he is said to have grinned and replied, "I'll handle it, son. I'm not as good a Christian as Frank Porter Graham."[citation needed]
Scott attained the Senate seat by approximately 8,000 votes and served until he died of a heart attack in 1958.[citation needed] He was sworn in on November 29, 1954, instead of the following January, as he was filling a vacant seat. In December he voted to censure SenatorJoseph McCarthy.[4] As senator, Scott moved away from his previously moderate views on race. He was a signatory of theSouthern Manifesto, objecting to the U.S. Supreme Court's decision inBrown v. Board of Education that state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students are unconstitutional. Reacting directly to theBrown ruling, Kerr expressed his wish that the Supreme Court "would reaffirm its own historic decisions approving equal, but separate, school facilities." He added, "I have always...been opposed to Negro and white children going to school together."[5] Scott also opposed theCivil Rights Act of 1957 and President Eisenhower's decision to send troops to escort black students toLittle Rock Central High School.[6]
Scott died in Burlington, North Carolina on April 16, 1958, and is buried in Hawfields Presbyterian Church Cemetery inMebane, North Carolina. His son, Robert Scott, was also elected governor in the 1960s.
TheW. Kerr Scott Dam and Reservoir inWilkes County, North Carolina are named in honor of the governor.[7] While Senator, he greatly assisted in obtaining approval for construction of the dam and reservoir. In addition, a residence hall is named in his memory on the campus ofEast Carolina University and a technology building on the campus ofAppalachian State University is named for him.
His home and farm, theKerr Scott Farm, was added to theNational Register of Historic Places in 1987.[8]
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by William A. Graham III | Democratic nominee forNorth Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture 1936, 1940, 1944 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Democratic nominee forGovernor of North Carolina 1948 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Democratic nominee forU.S. Senator from North Carolina (Class 2) 1954 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Governor of North Carolina 1949–1953 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by William A. Graham III | 10thNorth Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture 1937–1948 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. Senate | ||
| Preceded by | U.S. senator (Class 2) from North Carolina 1954–1958 Served alongside:Sam Ervin | Succeeded by |
| Class 2 |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 3 | ||
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
