Angus Wilton McLean

Angus Wilton McLean

Angus Wilton McLean (born April 20, 1870 in Robeson County , North Carolina , † June 21, 1935 in Lumberton , North Carolina) was an American politician and the 56th governor of the state of North Carolina.

Early years and political advancement

Angus McLean attended Laurinburg Academy and the University of North Carolina , where he graduated from law school in 1892. As a result, McLean worked as a lawyer. At the same time, he was a successful businessman in various industries, such as the real estate market, banking, the railroad or textile industry. Politically, McLean supported the Democratic Party . As early as 1892 he was party chairman in Robeson County. In 1904 he was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in St. Louis . He also served in 1912 and 1916 as the North Carolina campaign leader for presidential candidate Woodrow Wilson . Between 1916 and 1924 he was a member of the Democratic National Committee . From 1918 to 1922 he worked for the War Finance Corporation . During the final months of the Wilson administration, he served as US Secretary of the Treasury from 1920 to 1921 .

North Carolina Governor

His party nominated him for the gubernatorial election of 1924, which McLean was able to make victorious. His term of office began on January 14, 1925 and ended on January 11, 1929. The time circumstances were very favorable for him. The 1920s was a time of general boom in the US. The Great Depression that followed fell during the tenure of his successor, Oliver Max Gardner . During his tenure, the country's budget system was reformed, a new Department of Conservation and Development was created, and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park was created.

Retirement

After the end of his tenure, McLean withdrew from politics. But he continued to take care of his business interests. He lived to see the outbreak of the Great Depression and the beginning of the government of Franklin D. Roosevelt , who tried to contain the crisis with his New Deal . Angus McLean died in June 1935. He was married to Margaret Jones French and the couple had three children.

Web links

• Angus McLean in the National Governors Association (English)
• Angus McLean Wilton in the database of Find a Grave (English)