Charles Brantley Aycock
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Charles Brantley Aycock (born 1 November 1859 in Wayne County, North Carolina -- died 4 April 1912) was the Democratic governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina from 1901 to 1905. During his tenure as governor, he was an advocate for the improvement of the state's public school systems, and following his term in office, he traveled the country promoting educational causes.
Prior to his rise to the governorship, Aycock participated in the murderous Wilmington Insurrection of 1898, which proved to be the one and only coup d’etat in United States history.
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[edit] Early life
Charles B. Aycock was the youngest of the 10 children of Benjamin and Serena Aycock. His family lived near the present-day town of Fremont, NC, then known as Nahunta. Though his father died when he was 15, his mother and older brothers recognized his abilities and determined that he should go to college. After graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1880 with first honors in both oratory and essay writing, he entered law practice in Goldsboro and supplemented his income by teaching school. His success in both fields led to his appointment as superintendent of schools for Wayne County and to service on the school board in Goldsboro.
His political career began in 1888 as a presidential elector for Grover Cleveland, when he gained distinction as an orator and political debater. From 1893 to 1897 he served as U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina. In 1898 and 1900, Aycock was prominent in the Democratic Party's "white supremacy" campaigns and was elected Governor over Republican Spencer Adams.[1]
[edit] Governor
As governor, Aycock became known as the "Education Governor" for his support of the public school system. It was said that one school was constructed in the state for every day he was in office. He was supposedly dedicated to education after watching his mother make her mark when signing a deed. He felt that no lasting social reform could be accomplished without education. He supported increased salaries for teachers, longer school terms, and new school buildings; "690 new schoolhouses erected, including 599 for whites and 91 for blacks."[2]
According to John Beck, Wendy Frandsen, and Aaron Randall of Vance-Granville Community College, "Charles B. Aycock--the same Charles B. Aycock who helped lead the White Supremacy Campaign--is generally considered the state’s first progressive governor. Despite Aycock’s unsavory role as a white supremacist, he is still remembered and honored in the state today as the father of public education, and there are few counties in the state where one cannot find a public school named after him."[3]
[edit] Later Years and Legacy
After leaving the governor's office in 1905, Aycock resumed his law practice. He was persuaded to run for the Senate seat held by fellow Democrat Furnifold M. Simmons in 1912. But before the nomination was decided, Aycock died of a heart attack while making a speech to the Alabama Education Association on April 4, 1912.
In Greensboro, NC, the auditorium at UNC-Greensboro, as well as a street, a neighborhood, and a middle school are all named for him.[4] There are dormitories at UNC-Chapel Hill, East Carolina University and Duke University campuses named after him. In Pikeville, NC, there is a high school named after him as well.
[edit] References
- ^ Our Campaigns - NC Governor Race - Aug 02, 1900
- ^ Aycock legacy gets reappraisalNews and Observer Rob Christensen, Staff Writer Published: Oct 06, 2007
- ^ http://oit.vgcc.edu/hum122/section6.htm]
- ^ "The risk of choosing names" : News-Record.com : Greensboro, North Carolina
[edit] External links
- Charles B. Aycock Birthplace Historic Site
- North Carolina Election of 1898
- Aycock legacy gets reappraisal
| Preceded by Daniel Lindsay Russell |
Governor of North Carolina 1901–1905 |
Succeeded by Robert Broadnax Glenn |
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