Durham County

by Green, C. Sylvester. Donald Keith Adams, educator and psychologist, was born in Orville, Ohio, the son of John F. and Elizabeth Taylor Adams. His preparatory education was completed at the local high school in 1919, and [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Boyd, Sandra O. Today, women can pilot commercial airliners and military planes, but not too long ago, they could not get such jobs. After the Wright brothers flew the first airplane, both men and women learned to [...] (from Tar Heel Junior Historian, NC Museum of History.)

by Carrier, Sarah. Ann George Atwater was a lifelong grassroots civil rights activist in Durham, North Carolina. She was born in Hallsboro, Columbus County on July 1, 1935. As a child, she attended the Farmers’ Union [...] (from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Libraries.)

by Russell, Mattie U. Alice Mary Baldwin, educator, was born in Lewiston, Me., where her father was head of the Latin School. She was the eldest of the five children of the Reverend Fritz Walter and Sarah Bingham Lyman [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Sanders, Charles Richard. Richard Bennehan, merchant, planter, builder, and pioneer in the tobacco industry and in education, was born near Warsaw, North Farnham Parish, Richmond County, Va. The fifth of seven children, he [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Durden, Robert F. Mary Duke Biddle, philanthropist, was born in Durham to Benjamin Newton and Sarah Pearson Angier Duke. Educated first in the public schools of Durham, she was graduated from Trinity College in 1907. [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Steelman, Bennett L. James Crawford Biggs, jurist and U.S. solicitor general, was born in Oxford, the son of William Biggs and his wife, Elizabeth Arrington Cooper. William Biggs, a former captain in the Confederate [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Noblin, Stuart. William Thomas Blackwell, tobacco manufacturer and civic leader, was born near Woodsdale in northern Person County. His father was James Lipscomb Blackwell, his mother Eleanor Fox Buchanan. W. T., or [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Powell, Benjamin E. Joseph Penn Breedlove, college and university librarian, was born near Oxford, the son of John Henry and Susan Caroline Hunt Breedlove. His formal education was received at Horner's School in Oxford [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Hill, Michael. The name of Rose Butler Browne is venerated on the campus of North Carolina Central University (NCCU). Born in Boston in 1897, Browne was an influential educator, civil rights activist, and community [...] (from Research Branch, NC Office of Archives and History.)

by Sanders, Charles Richard. Duncan Cameron, planter, judge, politician, and banker, was born in Mecklenburg County, Va. His father, the Reverend John Cameron (d. 1815), an Episcopal priest, was the son of Duncan and Margaret [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Caldwell, John T. William Donald Carmichael, Jr., vice-president of The University of North Carolina, was born in Durham, one of four sons of William Donald and Margaret McCaull Carmichael. He was educated in the [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Caldwell, Martha B. William Donald Carmichael, Sr., tobacco company official, was born in Little Rock, S.C. His father was Captain William Donald Carmichael, a Confederate veteran who fought throughout the Civil War [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Coffey, Michael W. Julian Shakespeare Carr was a major North Carolina industrialist in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Known for his business successes and his philanthropic activities, he was also a [...] (from NC Office of Archives and History.)

by Fuqua, Larry W. George Lunsford Carrington, pioneer surgeon, was born in Durham County, the son of Ursula Elizabeth Lunsford and Sterling R. Carrington, a prominent businessman in Durham. Carrington received his [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Knapp, Sharon E. G. Hope Summerell Chamberlain, author, artist, clubwoman, house counselor at Duke University, and civic worker, was born in Salisbury. Although Mrs. Chamberlain did not use her first name, the first [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Powell, William S. John Blackwell Cobb, tobacconist and capitalist, was born in Caswell County, the son of Henry Wellington and Mary Howard Cobb. He was educated in private schools in his native county, and at the age [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Wells, Warner. William Maurice Coppridge, physician, teacher, statesman, pioneer urologist in North Carolina, clinical professor of urology at The University of North Carolina School of Medicine in Chapel Hill, and [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Green, C. Sylvester. Carl C. [Carlyle Ceasar] Council, newspaper publisher and radio and television executive, son of William L. and Ida Herndon Council, was born in Chatham County. His family moved to Durham while he [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Green, C. Sylvester. Commodore Thomas Council, Sr., pharmaceutical manufacturer, churchman, and civic leader, the son of John Lawrence and Glendora Burgess Council, was born in rural Chatham County. He went first to the [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Roberts, B. W. C. John Thomas Dalton, inventor, was born on a farm near Franklin Junction (now Gretna) in Pittsylvania County, Va. At a very early age he demonstrated an interest in mechanical devices, such as a [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Bastin, Bruce. Gary Davis, a blind black street singer and minister, was born in Laurens, S.C., to a farming family and was raised by his grandmother. As a young man he joined the steady stream of rural blacks who [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Wells, Warner. Wilburt Cornell Davison, physician, teacher, and medical educator, was born in Grand Rapids, Mich., but grew up on Long Island, N.Y., the son of William L. Davison, D.D., a Methodist minister, and [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Green, C. Sylvester. Henry Randolph Dwire, editor and university executive, was born in Winston, the son of Henry Xenophon and Mary Hanes Dwire. His father was a deputy collector of internal revenue in Winston-Salem. [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Agan, Kelly, Davis, Sarajanee. Helen Edmonds was an American historian, university professor and civic leader. She is especially noted for her 1947 Ph.D. dissertation as well as her thirty-six-year career at North Carolina Central [...] (from Government & Heritage Library, State Library of North Carolina.)

by Clary, Zachary. Claiborne Paul “C.P.” Ellis was a segregationist and Ku Klux Klan (KKK) leader turned civil rights activist and labor union leader. Ellis served as the co-chair of the 1971 Durham charrette on school [...] (from ANCHOR: A North Carolina History Online Resource.)

by Roberts, B. W. C. Jesse Harper Erwin, textile executive, was born at the family estate, Bellevue, near Morganton, of Scot-Irish ancestry. His father, Joseph J. Erwin, described as a "model of the old-time Southern [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Creech, William A. Reuben Oscar Everett, attorney and civic and cultural leader, was born at Hamilton, Martin County, the son of Justus and Elizabeth Purvis Everett. Shortly afterwards he moved with his family to their [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Gillespie, James D. William Edwards Fitch, physician and author, was born in Burlington, the son of William James Fitch, a farmer, and Mary Elizabeth King Fitch. He was a descendant of Thomas Fitch, who came to America [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Krieger, Marvin. Robert George Fitzgerald, soldier, farmer, educator, and businessman, was born to Thomas Charles Fitzgerald (ca. 1808–1879) and Sarah Ann Burton Fitzgerald (ca. 1818–ca. 1889) in New Castle County, [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by London, Lawrence F. Roma Coxey Fortune, Episcopal priest, son of John L. and Mary Coxey Fortune, was born in Black Mountain. Having lost his hearing at age eight after a severe case of scarlet fever, he received his [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Webb, Mena F., Raney, Carolyn F. Bartholomew Fuller, lawyer, magazine editor, government employee, and civic leader, was the second of three children born to Thomas and Catherine Eleanor Raboteau Fuller in Fayetteville, where Thomas [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Webb, Mena F., Raney, Carolyn F. Thomas Blount Fuller, manufacturer, civic leader, and Presbyterian layman, was born in Fayetteville of English, French, and Scottish ancestry. He was the son of Bartholomew Fuller, an attorney, and [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Webb, Mena F. Fuller, Williamson Whitehead by Mena F. Webb, 1986 28 Aug. 1858–23 Aug. [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Bastin, Bruce. Allen, Fulton by Bruce Bastin 10 July 1907-13 Feb. [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Green, C. Sylvester. Katherine Everett Gilbert, educator and philosopher, was born in Newport, R.I., the daughter of Thomas Jefferson and Sue Morrison Everett. After attending local schools in Newport, she taught for a [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Cotten, Alice R. Pleasant Daniel Gold, Primitive Baptist leader and publisher, was born in Rutherford County, now Cleveland County, to Milton and Martha Fortune Gold. His grandfather, Daniel Gold, had moved to North [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Powell, William S. Charles Sylvester Green, clergyman, newspaper editor, college president, and executive, was born in Greensburg, Ky., the son of Thomas Madison and Rosealthea Buck Green. The family moved to the [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Russell, Mattie U. John Ruffin Green, tobacco manufacturer, whose pioneering efforts in the production of bright-leaf smoking tobacco helped lay the economic foundation of the city of Durham, was the second of seven [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Young, Betty. Lillian Baker Griggs, librarian, was born in Anderson, S.C., the daughter of William F. and Cora Wilhite Baker. From 1892 to 1895 she attended Agnes Scott College. She married Dr. Alfred Flournoy [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Green, C. Sylvester. Frank Gregory Hall, aerospace scientist, was born in Johnstown, Wis., the son of Frank Dexter and Evelyn Kidder Hall. After receiving his preparatory education in local schools, he entered Milton [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Durden, Robert F. William Baskerville Hamilton, historian, was born in Jackson, Miss., the oldest son of William B. and Bessie Cavett Hamilton. After attending the public schools in Jackson, he received an A.B. degree [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Roff, Carolyn F. Hanes, Frederick Moir by Carolyn F. Roff, 1988 18 Sept. 1883–25 Mar. 1946 See also: Robert March Hanes and John Wesley Hanes, Jr., brothers. Frederick Moir Hanes, physician, educator, and [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Green, C. Sylvester. Ellwood Scott Harrar, Jr., wood technologist and educator, was born in Pittsburgh, Pa., the son of Ellwood Scott and Lucetta Elsie Sterner Harrar, both former residents of Allentown, Pa. His father, [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Gifford, James F. Julian Deryl Hart, surgeon and university president, was born in Prattsburg, Ga., the son of John Deryl, a farmer, and Fannie Walter Matthews Hart, a descendant of Sir Anthony Drane, nephew of the [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Bursey, Maurice M., Bradsher, Charles K. Charles Roy Hauser, chemist and educator, was born in San Jose, Calif., the son of Charles H. and Elizabeth Rogan Hauser, but moved to Florida at an early age. He attended the University of Florida, [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Tise, Larry E. John Franklin Heitman, educator, clergyman, editor, and historian, was born in Davidson County near Lexington, the son of Henry and Eve McRary Heitman. In 1861 he entered Trinity College around which [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Green, C. Sylvester. Franklin Simpson Hickman, minister, author, and educator, was born in Fort Wayne, Ind., the son of John Wesley and Emma Tessier Hickman. His early education was sporadic and was not completed until [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Kirkman, Roger N. John Sprunt Hill, philanthropist and banker, was born near Faison, the son of William Edward and Frances Diana Faison Hill. Among prominent relatives were his grandfather General William Lanier Hill [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Coan, Fisher. Pioneering singer/songwriter, guitarist, and front man Peter Livingston Holsapple was born in Greenwich, Connecticut on February 19, 1956 to Henry Taylor Holsapple, a Harvard-educated lawyer and [...] (from NCpedia.)

by Green, C. Sylvester. Holland Holton, educator, the son of Samuel Melanchthon and Aura Barrett Chaffin Holton, was born at Dobson, but his family moved to Durham in 1894. He completed his secondary education in Durham [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Powell, William S. James Hunter Horner, educator, was born near Flat River at Red Mountain, Orange County (now Rougemont, Durham County), the son of Colonel William Horner, a native of Pennsylvania who moved to North [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Woodard, John R., Jr. Maloy Alton Huggins, educator and religious administrator, was born in Marion County, S.C., the son of A. R. F. and Alice Lundy Huggins. He attended the common schools of his home county and, from [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Pollitt, Phoebe Ann. Originally published in "North Carolina Nursing History." Republished with permission. For personal educational use and not for further distribution. Please submit permission requests for other uses [...] (from Appalachian State University.)

by Cecelski, David S. Ann Johnson has been a ferocious advocate for the state's elderly for more than 40 years. As the executive director of the Durham County Coordinating Council for Senior Citizens from 1966 to 1990, [...] (from Listening to History, News and Observer.)

by Johnson, Charles. Johnson, Clifton Earl By Charles D. Johnson, North Carolina Central University, 2020 Clifton Earl “Cliff” Johnson was a pioneer African American jurist. He was born in 1941 in Williamston, [...] (from Government & Heritage Library, State Library of North Carolina.)

by Jones, H. G. William Henry Jones, educator, was born in Caswell County, the son of Thaddeus Cornelius and Rebecca Jane Roberts Jones. He attended rural schools in Caswell and Rockingham counties and was graduated [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Smith, Chris T. Jovian was a Coquerel’s sifaka (a species of lemur) chosen to star in the title role of the popular PBS children's television series Zoboomafoo, which began airing in 1999. Jovian was born April 10, [...] (from NCpedia.)

by Malone, E. T., Jr. Edmund Noah Joyner, Episcopal priest, missionary, soldier, poet, and newspaper editor, was born in the Marlboro community near Farmville in Pitt County, the son of Dr. Noah and Emily Adelaide [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by King, William E. King, Carl Howie by William E. King, 1988 25 Jan. 1898–27 June [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Southern, Gilbert Edwin, Jr. Lanning, John Tate by Gilbert Edwin Southern, Jr., 1991 13 Sept. 1902–15 Aug. 1976 John Tate Lanning, historian, was born in Linwood, Davidson County, the son of Baxter Franklin and Carrie [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Eagles, Charles W. Larkins, John Rodman by Charles W. Eagles, 1991; Revised by SLNC Government and Heritage Library, May 2023 24 Dec. 1913–21 Mar. 1980 John Rodman Larkins, state government [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Green, C. Sylvester. Lee, Arthur Carl by C. Sylvester Green, 1991; Revised December 2021 3 Sept. 1886–17 July 1974 Arthur Carl Lee, engineer and construction company executive, was [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Horne, Meade B. B. Kemp Plummer Lewis, textile executive, was born in Raleigh, the son of Richard Henry Lewis, a noted physician, and Cornelia Viola Battle Lewis, daughter of Kemp Plummer Battle, president of The [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Green, C. Sylvester. London, Arthur Hill, Jr. by C. Sylvester Green, 1991 5 July 1903–24 Apr. 1976 Arthur Hill London, Jr., pediatrician and medical educator, was born in Pittsboro, the son of Arthur Hill, Sr., [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Stauter, Mark C. Fritz Wolfgang London, physicist and theoretical chemist, was born in Breslau, Germany (now Wroclaw, Poland), the son of Franz and Luise Hamburger London. In 1904 his father, a professor of [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Derohan, Geoffrey A. Jacob Elmer Long, lieutenant governor, legislator, and attorney, was born in Yanceyville, the son of Jacob A. and Esta Teague Long. He received his early schooling at Graham College (1888–90) and [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Flannagan, Clara H. R. George Leonidas Lyon, sportsman and world champion trapshooter, was born in Durham, the second son of Robert E. and Mary Duke Lyon. His paternal grandfather was Zachariah Inge Lyon, pioneer tobacco [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Flannagan, Clara H. R. Zachariah Inge Lyon, one of the founders of Durham and a pioneer smoking tobacco manufacturer, was born in Granville County, the son of Zachariah T. and Nancy Lanier Lyon. He was the grandson of [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Eagles, Brenda M. Adolphus Williamson Mangum, Methodist minister and educator, was the youngest of eight children of Ellison Goodloe and Elizabeth Harris Mangum. He was born at Locust Grove, the family home on the [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Powell, William S. Willie Person Mangum, lawyer, judge, congressman, and U.S. senator, was born at Red Mountain in a part of northeastern Orange County that became Durham County in 1881. The son of William Person and [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Gass, W. Conard. Manning, John Hall by W. Conard Gass, 1991 27 Sept. 1889–21 July 1963 John Hall Manning, lawyer and government official, was born in Durham County, the son of Julia Tate Cain and [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Aycock, William B. McCall, Frederick Bays by William B. Aycock, 1991 7 Oct. 1893–8 Apr. [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Cecelski, David S. McDonald's Drugstore has been on Ninth Street in Durham for more than 80 years. When I interviewed John McDonald, I asked him how things had changed over all that time. I guess I expected him to lay [...] (from Listening to History, News and Observer.)

by Bowles, Elisabeth A. Charles Duncan McIver, founder and first president of the State Normal and Industrial School for Girls (now the University of North Carolina at Greensboro), was born in a part of Moore County that [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Weare, Walter B. John Merrick, black businessman, community leader, and founder of the North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company, was born in Sampson County, the son of an enslaved mother; his father is unknown. [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Green, C. Sylvester. Edwin Lee Middleton, educator and Sunday school administrator, was born near Warsaw in rural Duplin County, the son of David John and Lucy Jane Nicholson Middleton. The family was English, and the [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Wodehouse, Lawrence. Frank Pierce Milburn, architect and designer of numerous structures in most states south of the Mason-Dixon Line, was born in Bowling Green, Ky. His father, Thomas Thurmond Milburn, was a building [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Copeland, J. Isaac. Edwin Mims, educator and teacher of American and English literature, was born in Richmond, Ark., a village near Little Rock, the son of Andrew Jackson, an Arkansas merchant, and Cornelia Williamson [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Weare, Walter B. Aaron McDuffie Moore, black physician, businessman, and humanitarian, was born in Columbus County. His parents belonged to the third generation of Negro-Indian-Caucasian families who had owned land [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Murray, Elizabeth D. R. Ellen Mordecai Mordecai, author, was born in Mordecai House, Raleigh, the daughter of Moses (1785–1824) and his first wife, Margaret (Peggy) Lane Mordecai (ca. 1786–1821). She was named for her [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Murray, Elizabeth D. R. Miss Ellen Mordecai, teacher and author, was born in Richmond, Va., the fourth child and second daughter of Jacob (1762–1838) and Judith Myers Mordecai (1762–96). During her infancy the family moved [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Green, C. Sylvester. Eugene Lindsay Morehead, banker and industrialist, was born in Greensboro, the son of Governor John Motley and Ann Eliza Lindsay Morehead. He entered The University of North Carolina in 1861 at age [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Tilley, Nannie M. Morgan, Samuel Tate by Nannie M. Tilley, 1991 15 May 1857–16 Apr. 1920 Samuel Tate Morgan, manufacturer of chemical fertilizer, was born in the Fishdam district of Wake County (now a part of [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Ham, Marie Sharpe, Blake, Debra A., Morris, C. Edward. Morrison, Sara Virginia Ecker Watts by Marie Sharpe Ham, Debra A. Blake, and C. Edward Morris. Excerpted from North Carolina's First Ladies, 1891-2001, copyright 2001. Reprinted with [...] (from North Carolina's First Ladies: 1891-2001, North Carolina Historical Publications.)

by Cecelski, David S. I visited Ike Murray at his family's machine shop, Durham Brazing and Welding Works, in downtown Durham. He and his brother, John, now run the business that their father founded 83 years ago. Demand [...] (from Listening to History, News and Observer.)

by Sumner, Jim L. Murray, William David by Jim L. Sumner, 1991 9 Sept. 1908–29 Mar. 1986 William David Murray, [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Green, C. Sylvester. Ernest William Nelson, educator and historian, was born in Brockton, Mass., the son of William and Elizabeth Nelson. After completing his elementary and secondary schooling in Brockton, he entered [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Green, C. Sylvester. Dallas Walton Newsom, educational administrator, county manager, scholar, and poet, was born in Littleton, Warren County, the son of Marion Eaton and Annie Soule Heptinstall Newsom. His grandparents, [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Green, C. Sylvester. Nicholson, William McNeal by C. Sylvester Green, 1991 27 Sept. 1905–8 Sept. 1974 William McNeal Nicholson, medical educator, was [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Tilley, Nannie M. William Thomas O'Brien, machinist, was born in Lynchburg, Va., of Irish ancestry. His father was John O'Brien, a laborer, who came to the United States in 1846; his mother was Katherine McLaughlin [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Beers, Burton F. Edward James Parrish, tobacco merchant and manufacturer, pioneering tobacco company executive assigned to Japan, and Durham business and civic leader, was born near Round Hill post office in Orange [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Neal, Ellen Barrier. Rufus Lenoir Patterson, Jr., inventor and businessman, was born in Salem, the son of lawyer, planter, and paper mill owner Rufus Lenoir (1830–79) and his second wife Mary Elizabeth Fries Patterson [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Miller, Patricia J. Hiram Voss Paul, poet, author, editor, and journalist, was born in New Bern of Scot-Irish ancestry. His forefathers, the McCotters and the Pauls, were among the first settlers of Albemarle County in [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Agan, Kelly, Davis, Sarajanee. Murray, Pauli Individual perseverance and community power By Sarajanee Davis and Kelly Agan, N.C.Government & Heritage Library, 2020; Revised by SLNC Government and Heritage Library, [...] (from NCpedia K-8 Collection.)

by Copeland, J. Isaac. Bruce Ryburn Payne, college president, was born in the Mull Grove community of Catawba County, the son of Jordan Nathaniel and Barbara Anne Eliza Warlick Payne. The elder Payne was a teacher and a [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Brabham, Robin. Boyd Ellsworth Payton, labor organizer and executive, was born in Dobbin, W.Va., the son of James William, a timber contractor, and Mary Sidonna King Payton. As a youth growing up in Garrett County, [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Carroll, Grady L. E., Sr. Peele, William Walter by Grady L. E. Carroll, 1994 26 Nov. 1881–1 July 1959 William Walter Peele, Methodist clergyman and educator, was [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Green, C. Sylvester. Guy Berryman Phillips, educator, was born in rural Randolph County, southwest of Asheboro, the eldest child of Jessie Lee and Fannie Polk Waddell Phillips. A successful farmer, Jessie Lee Phillips [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Robson, Charles B. William Whatley Pierson, scholar, university professor, and administrator, was born in Brundige, Ala., the eldest son of Dr. William Whatley, a surgeon, and Minto Anglin Pierson. After preliminary [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Queen, Louise L. Alva Washington Plyler, Methodist minister and editor, was born in Iredell County, the son of Robert Conrad and Mary L. Kimball Plyler and the identical twin of Marion Timothy Plyler. He married [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Queen, Louise L. Plyler, Marion Timothy by Louise L. Queen, 1994 14 Sept. 1867–24 Mar. 1954 Marion Timothy Plyler, Methodist minister and editor, was born in Iredell County, the son of Robert Conrad and Mary [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Green, C. Sylvester. Liston Pope, clergyman, theological educator, and ecumenist, was born in Thomasville, one of three children of Robie Lester and Dora Vivian Younts Pope. His sisters were Mildred (Mrs. Frank H. Wood) [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Powell, William S. Benjamin Edward Powell, librarian and teacher, was born in Sunbury, Gates County, the son of Willis Warren and Beatrice Franklin Powell. In 1922 he entered Trinity College, Durham, which became Duke [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Troxler, George W. Powell, Thomas Edward, Jr. by George W. Troxler, 1994 6 July 1899–3 Dec. 1987 Thomas Edward Powell, Jr., founder of the Carolina [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Warner, Anne. Frank Noah Proffitt, farmer, craftsman, and singer of traditional songs, was born in Laurel Bloomery, Tenn., the son of Wiley and Rebecca Alice Creed Proffitt. His paternal grandparents, John and [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Putzel, Rosamond. Thomas Richard Purnell, jurist, was born in Wilmington, the son of Thomas Richard and Eliza Ann Dudley Purnell. His grandparents were John and Sarah Purnell and Governor and Mrs. Edward B. Dudley. He [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Green, C. Sylvester. Edwin Davis Pusey, educator, was born at Princess Anne, Md., the son of Edwin and Katherine Ellen Davis Pusey. Tutored privately as a child, he entered Washington Academy, Princess Anne, in 1880 and [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Green, C. Sylvester. Robert Stanley Rankin, political science educator, was born in Tusculum, Tenn., the son of Thomas Samuel and Mary Isabel Coile Rankin. During World War I he served briefly as a sergeant. He was [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Russell, Mattie U. Watson Smith Rankin, physician and foundation executive, was born on a farm near Mooresville. He was the son of John Alexander and Minnie Isabella McCorkle Rankin, who had at least five sons and [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Powell, William S. John Robert Ray, labor organizer, printer, and newspaperman, a native of North Carolina, was probably born in Raleigh. Since his mother, Mrs. Rachel T. Ray, was identified in Raleigh city directories [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Stauter, Mark C. James Fred Rippy, historian and educator, was born in a log house near Nubia, in Sumner County, Tenn., the son of Robert Sidney and Mary Frances Grant Rippy. He grew up on a subsistence farm until a [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Bingham, Warren L. Karl Robbins, textile manufacturer and philanthropist, was born near Kiev, Russia, and in 1905 moved to New York, where his father had already been living for four years and operating a small [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Green, C. Sylvester. Edward Tyler Rollins, Sr., newspaper publisher, was born at Cary, the son of Wyatt Paul and Eliza Jane Smith Rollins. His early education was meager, and his formal schooling did not extend beyond [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Berryhill, Reece. Robert Alexander Ross, nationally known obstetrician and gynecologist, professor of obstetrics at Duke University, and first chairman of the Department of Obstetrics at The University of North [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Massengill, Stephen E. Fred Stovall Royster, tobacco warehouseman, legislator, and tobacco industry promoter, was born in the community of Dabney in western Vance County. His parents were John Stovall (24 May 1869–23 Oct. [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Powell, William S. William Haywood Ruffin, textile manufacturing executive, was born in Louisburg, the son of William Haywood and Sally Johnson White Ruffin. He attended Porter Military Academy in Charleston, S.C., and [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Moore, J. Floyd. Russell, Elbert by J. Floyd Moore, 1994 29 Aug. 1871–21 Sept. [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Ham, Marie Sharpe, Blake, Debra A., Morris, C. Edward. Sanford, Margaret Rose Knight by Marie Sharpe Ham, Debra A. Blake, and C. Edward Morris. Excerpted from North Carolina's First Ladies, 1891-2001, copyright 2001. Reprinted with permission [...] (from North Carolina's First Ladies: 1891-2001, North Carolina Historical Publications.)

by Roberts, B. W. C. Francis Xavier Schumacher, pioneer in the field of forestry mensuration, was born in Dayton, Ohio, the son of Joseph and Julia Lavender Schumacher. He attended Emanuel's Parochial School prior to [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Powell, William S. Marguerite Ellen Schumann, author, was born at Sturgeon Bay, Wis., the daughter of the Reverend Frederick and Adelia Schumann. In her senior year at Lawrence College in Appleton, Wis., she became the [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Green, C. Sylvester. Walter James Seeley, electrical engineer and engineering educator, was born at Hazelton, Pa., the son of Frank Wesley and Mame Seaborne Seeley. In 1913 he was graduated from the Polytechnic Institute [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Eagles, Charles W. James Edward Shepard, college president, was the oldest of twelve children born in Raleigh to the Reverend Augustus and Hattie Whitted Shepard. He attended the public schools of Raleigh before [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Powell, William S. James Stevens Simmons, physician, army officer, and university professor, was born in Newton, the son of James Curtley and Angie Mary Stevens Simmons. The family moved to Graham when he was four, and [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Menius, Arthur C., III. George Sims, schoolmaster and Regulator spokesman, thrust himself into the limelight with a timely appeal to the agitated people of western North Carolina and then just as suddenly disappeared from [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Massengill, Stephen E. Edward Featherston Small, Confederate soldier, photographer, and salesman, was born near Washington, Beaufort County, the son of Henry H. and Margaret Hill Small. He was a cousin of Congressman John [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Gutay, Anthony. Charles Soong (born Han Chiao-shun) By Anthony Gutay, North Carolina State University, 2013 1866 – May 3, 1918 Charles Soong, born Han Chiao-shun (1866 - May, 1918), was the first [...] (from North Carolina Gazetteer, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Russell, Mattie U. James Haywood Southgate, businessman and vice-presidential candidate, was born in Norfolk, Va., but lived in several localities before his parents settled in Durham, N.C. His father, James Southgate, [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Powell, William S. Asa Timothy Spaulding, insurance company executive, was born in Columbus County, the son of Armstead and Annie Belle Lowery Spaulding. He attended the National Training School of Howard University, [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Weare, Walter B. Charles Clinton Spaulding, black businessman and community leader, was born in Columbus County to parents descended from a long-standing community of free Blacklandholders in the area. A family oral [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Stocker, Emmanuel. Spaulding, Charles Clinton By Emmanuel Stocker, North Carolina State University, 2013 August 1, 1874- August 1, [...] (from NCpedia.)

by Green, C. Sylvester. Bessie Octavia Whitted Spence, educator and lay churchwoman, the daughter of Julius Monroe and Ella Frances Howerton Whitted, was born in Durham. She attended the public schools of Durham and was [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Green, C. Sylvester. Hersey Everett Spence, Methodist clergyman, teacher, and author, was born at South Mills in Camden County, the son of Joseph Newton and Lucy Indiana Howell Spence. He received his undergraduate [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Russell, Mattie U. James Edward Stagg, businessman, was born in Company Shops, a village on the North Carolina Railroad that became Burlington. His father, Francis Asbury Stagg, was for many years secretary-treasurer [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Powell, William S. Thomas Melville Stanback, pharmacist, was born in Byhalia, Miss., the son of Charles and Della Ingram Stanback. His parents had moved from Richmond County, N.C., a few years before his birth and [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Powell, William S. Stanford, Charles Whitson, Jr. by William S. Powell, 1994 13 Sept. 1924–19 May 1990 Charles Whitson Stanford, Jr., museum director, was born in Durham, the son of Charles Whitson and Mary [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Evans, Esther. Edwin Monroe Stanley, lawyer, chief judge of the U.S. Middle District Court, and religious, educational, and civic leader, was born in Kernersville. Of English-German ancestry, he was the youngest [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Glover, Erma Williams. Walter Frank Taylor, lawyer, legislator, and civic leader, the son of Luther and Ettie Crow Taylor, was born on a cotton farm four miles from Faison. When he was fifteen the family moved into town, [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Green, C. Sylvester. Nello Leguy Teer, construction contractor, was born in rural Orange County, the son of George Washington and Nannie Elizabeth Thompson Teer. His family moved to Durham in 1889, and there the elder [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Powell, William S. Thorpe, Earlie Endris by William S. Powell, 1994 Related Entries: Historically Black Universities and Colleges; Civil Rights; African American 9 Nov. 1924–30 Jan. 1989 Earlie [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Powell, William S. Nannie May Tilley, professor and historian, was born on a tobacco farm at Bahama, Durham County, the daughter of Roscoe and Lucy Roberts Tilley. She was graduated from the North Carolina College for [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Durrill, Wayne K. Clinton White Toms, teacher, school superintendent, businessman, and philanthropist, was born in Hertford, Perquimans County, the son of Zachariah and Susan Baker Toms. In 1889 he was graduated from [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Gifford, James F. Josiah Charles Trent, surgeon and historian of medicine, was born in Okmulgee, Okla., the youngest of four children, to parents of English ancestry. His father, Josiah Charles Trent, was a native of [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Cecelski, David S. I talked with Allan Troxler in the garden behind the Blevins House, a group residence in Durham for people with HIV/AIDS. A 51-year-old Greensboro native, Troxler started this bountiful garden eight [...] (from Listening to History, News and Observer.)

by Pleasants, Julian M. John Wesley Umstead, Jr., legislator and advocate of education and mental health, was born in Durham County, the son of John Wesley, a Confederate veteran, farmer, and politician, and Lulie Elizabeth [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Ham, Marie Sharpe, Blake, Debra A., Morris, C. Edward. Umstead, Merle Holland Davis by Marie Sharpe Ham, Debra A. Blake, and C. Edward Morris. Excerpted from North Carolina's First Ladies, 1891-2001, copyright 2001. Reprinted with permission from [...] (from North Carolina's First Ladies: 1891-2001, North Carolina Historical Publications.)

by Stewart, Alva W. Umstead, William Bradley by A. W. Stewart, 1996; Revised by SLNC Government and Heritage Library, June 2023 13 May 1895–7 Nov. 1954 See also: William Bradley Umstead, Research Branch, NC [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Hill, Michael. A veteran of both houses of the United States Congress, William B. Umstead (1895-1954) suffered a heart attack two days after his inauguration as governor and spent much of his twenty-two month term [...] (from Research Branch, NC Office of Archives and History.)

by Roberts, B. W. C. Underwood, Norman by B. W. C. Roberts, 1996 2 Sept. 1862–17 June [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Russell, Mattie U. Mamie Dowd Walker, civic leader and judge, was named Mary Rebecca but became known to all as Mamie. She was born in the Lipscombe family home north of Durham and grew up in that city. She and her [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Stauter, Mark C. William Hane Wannamaker, educator and university administrator, was born in Bamberg, S.C., the son of Francis Marion and Eleanor Margaret Bellinger Wannamaker. His father, a scholarly planter and [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Powell, William S. Warren, Julius (Jule) Benjamin by William S. Powell, 1996 12 Oct. 1887–24 June 1960 Julius (Jule) Benjamin Warren, newspaperman and editor, was born in Durham, the son of Julius B., a [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Magruder, Nathaniel F. George Washington Watts, industrialist and philanthropist, was born in Cumberland, Md., the son of Gerard S. and Annie Wolvington Watts. In 1858 the family moved from Cumberland to Baltimore, where [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Riley, Jack. Walter Herbert Weatherspoon, attorney, utility executive, and philanthropist, was born at Nelson to William Hardy and Cynthia Hopson Weatherspoon. The operator of a general merchandise store, his [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Webb, Mena F. Writer Wilhelmena Katherine Fuller "Mena" Webb was born on April 26th, 1915 in Atlanta, Georgia, the 4th child and 2nd daughter of Ralph Bell Fuller and Caro Bacon Fuller. When she was 6 weeks old, [...] (from NCpedia.)

by Murphy, Eva B. William Alexander Webb, educator and administrator, was born in that part of Orange County that later became Durham County, the son of Richard Stanford (23 Feb. 1837–10 Nov. 1901) and Jennie Morrow [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Powell, William S. Warner Lee Wells, surgeon and author, was born in Durham, the son of Warner Lee and Narvie Elisabeth Hobby Wells. He received his undergraduate degree (1934) and the M.D. degree (1938) from Duke [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Weare, Walter B. Wheeler, John Hervey by Walter B. Weare, 1994; Revised by SLNC Government and Heritage Library, May 2023 Related Entries: African Americans; Civil Rights 1 Jan. 1908–6 Jul. 1978 John [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Jolly, Benjamin A., Wooten, Patrick S. Thomas Jackson White, Jr., legislator, attorney, lobbyist, and adviser to governors, was born on a farm near Concord, the son of Thomas Jackson and Mary Isabelle Culp White. The given names of father [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Green, C. Sylvester. Widgery, Alban Gregory by C. Sylvester Green, 1996 9 May 1887–22 Mar. 1968 Alban Gregory Widgery, teacher and [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Powell, William S. Wiggins, Archibald Lee Manning by William S. Powell, 1996 9 Apr. 1891–7 July 1980 Archibald Lee Manning Wiggins, business executive, was born [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Russell, Mattie U. Robert Hilliard Woody, historian and teacher, was born in the Little Cataloochee Creek community of Haywood County, the son of Stephen and Margaret Leona Hannah Woody. His father, a diabetic, died [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Powell, William S. Richard Harvey Wright, industrialist, was born in Franklin County, the son of Thomas Davenport and Elizabeth Glover Harris Wright. His grandfather, Griffin Wright, was a native of England. As a youth [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Powell, William S. Mary Lewis Wyche, nurse, was born near Williamsboro in present Vance County, the daughter of Benjamin and Sarah Hunter Wyche. In 1889 she was graduated from Henderson College, where she had taught in [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)