R. Gregg Cherry

Robert Gregg Cherry (October 17, 1891Template:Spaced ndashJune 25, 1957) was an American politician and lawyer who served as the 61st governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina from 1945 to 1949.

Early life and family

Childhood, education, and military service

Born in York County, South Carolina near Rock Hill, Cherry grew up in Gastonia, North Carolina with relatives after the death of his parents. He earned bachelor's and law degrees at Trinity College (now Duke University).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He organized and led a volunteer artillery company during World War I.

Marriage

In 1921, he married Lula Mildred Stafford, the daughter of the Mayor of Greensboro Emory Junius Stafford.<ref name= ham>Template:Cite book</ref>

Career

Cherry served as mayor of Gastonia from 1919 to 1923,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> as a member and speaker of the North Carolina House of Representatives, as chairman of the North Carolina Democratic Party (1937–1940), and as a member of the North Carolina Senate. In Gastonia, it was joked that he was the best lawyer in town when sober, and the second-best lawyer in town when drunk.<ref>Tar Heel Laughter By Richard Walser</ref>

In 1944, Cherry was elected governor as the last in a series of governors affiliated with the political machine of former governor O. Max Gardner.<ref>Christensen, Rob. The Paradox of Tar Heel Politics. 2008. UNC Press.</ref> He was sworn in on January 4, 1945.Template:Sfn While campaigning for governor, Cherry went, according to one observer,

Cherry inherited an economy facing material and labor shortages as a result of the ongoing Second World War. One of his primary focuses during his term was the improvement of mental health care at state-run facilities. Cherry Hospital in Goldsboro, North Carolina, is named for him.

Unlike other Southern Democrats, Cherry, despite his segregationist views, supported Harry S. Truman for re-election in 1948 and did not join the Dixiecrats.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He was succeeded by W. Kerr Scott on January 6, 1949.Template:Sfn He retired from politics and returned to the practice of law.

Works cited

• Template:Cite book

External links

• Template:Internet Archive author
• OurCampaigns.com biography
• National Governors Association biographyTemplate:Dead link
• North Carolina Historical Marker Template:Webarchive

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