R. Gregg Cherry

R. Gregg Cherry
R. Gregg Cherry
	R. Gregg Cherry, 1945
61st Governor of North Carolina
	In office; January 4, 1945 – January 6, 1949
Lieutenant	Lynton Y. Ballentine
Preceded by	J. Melville Broughton
Succeeded by	W. Kerr Scott
Mayor of Gastonia, North Carolina
	In office; 1919–1923
Personal details
Born	Robert Gregg Cherry; October 17, 1891; York County, South Carolina, U.S.
Died	June 25, 1957 (aged 65); Gastonia, North Carolina, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Lula Mildred Stafford
Alma mater	Duke University

Robert Gregg Cherry (October 17, 1891 – June 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.

Biography

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).^[1] He organized and led a volunteer artillery company during World War I.

In 1921, he married Lula Mildred Stafford, the daughter of the Mayor of Greensboro Emory Junius Stafford.^[2]

Cherry served as mayor of Gastonia from 1919 to 1923,^[3] 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.^[4]

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.^[5] He was sworn in on January 4, 1945.^[6] 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 most other Southern Democratic governors, Cherry supported Harry S. Truman for re-election in 1948.^{[citation needed]} He was succeeded by W. Kerr Scott on January 6, 1949.^[6] He retired from politics and returned to the practice of law.

References

^ "North Carolina manual [serial]". 1916.
^ Ham, Marie Sharpe; Blake, Debra A.; Morris, C. Edwards (2000). North Carolina's First Ladies 1891-2001, Who Have Resided in the Executive Mansion At 200 North Blount Street. Raleigh, North Carolina: The North Carolina Executive Mansion Fine Arts Committee and the North Carolina Executive Mansion Fund, Inc. pp. 51–52. ISBN 0-86526-294-2.
^ "Robert Gregg Cherry". January 5, 2013.
^ Tar Heel Laughter By Richard Walser
^ Christensen, Rob. The Paradox of Tar Heel Politics. 2008. UNC Press.
^ ^a ^b Cheney 1981, p. 423.

Works cited

Cheney, John L. Jr., ed. (1981). North Carolina Government, 1585-1979 : A Narrative and Statistical History (revised ed.). Raleigh: North Carolina Secretary of State. OCLC 1290270510.

External links

Works by or about R. Gregg Cherry at the Internet Archive
OurCampaigns.com biography
National Governors Association biography^{[permanent dead link]}
North Carolina Historical Marker Archived February 16, 2012, at the Wayback Machine

North Carolina House of Representatives
Preceded by Clarence Patrick Armstrong Carl Grady Carpenter	Member of the North Carolina House of Representatives from Gaston County 1931–1941 Served alongside: John Froneberger Puett, Pinckney Carroll Froneberger, Noah Benjamin Kendrick, David P. Dellinger, Carl Augustus Rudisill	Succeeded by Basil Lee Whitener
North Carolina Senate
Preceded by Joseph Henry Separk	Member of the North Carolina Senate from the 26th district 1941–1945	Succeeded by Stephen Bland Dolley
Party political offices
Preceded by J. Melville Broughton	Democratic nominee for Governor of North Carolina 1944	Succeeded by W. Kerr Scott
Political offices
Preceded by Robert Johnson	Speaker of the North Carolina House of Representatives 1937	Succeeded by D. L. Ward
Preceded by J. Melville Broughton	Governor of North Carolina 1945–1949	Succeeded by W. Kerr Scott

This article about a North Carolina politician is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

[1] "North Carolina manual [serial]". 1916.

[ham-2] Ham, Marie Sharpe; Blake, Debra A.; Morris, C. Edwards (2000). North Carolina's First Ladies 1891-2001, Who Have Resided in the Executive Mansion At 200 North Blount Street. Raleigh, North Carolina: The North Carolina Executive Mansion Fine Arts Committee and the North Carolina Executive Mansion Fund, Inc. pp. 51–52. ISBN 0-86526-294-2.

[3] "Robert Gregg Cherry". January 5, 2013.

[4] Tar Heel Laughter By Richard Walser

[5] Christensen, Rob. The Paradox of Tar Heel Politics. 2008. UNC Press.

[FOOTNOTECheney1981423-6] Cheney 1981, p. 423.

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v t e Governors and lieutenant governors of North Carolina
Governors	Caswell Nash Burke A. Martin Caswell Johnston A. Martin Spaight Sr. Ashe Davie Williams Turner Alexander Williams Stone Smith Hawkins Miller Branch Franklin Holmes Burton Iredell Owen Stokes Swain Spaight Jr. Dudley Morehead Graham Manly Reid Winslow Bragg Ellis Clark Vance Holden Worth Holden Caldwell Brogden Vance Jarvis Scales Fowle Holt Carr Russell Aycock Glenn Kitchin Craig Bickett Morrison McLean O. M. Gardner Ehringhaus Hoey Broughton Cherry W. K. Scott Umstead Hodges Sanford Moore R. W. Scott Holshouser Hunt J. G. Martin Hunt Easley Perdue McCrory Cooper
Lieutenant governors	Caldwell Brogden Jarvis Robinson Stedman Holt Doughton Reynolds Turner Winston Newland Daughtridge O. M. Gardner Cooper Long Fountain Graham Horton Harris Ballentine Taylor Sr. Hodges Barnhardt Philpott R. W. Scott Taylor Jr. Hunt Green Jordan J. Gardner Wicker Perdue Dalton Forest Robinson

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