Luther Hodges

Luther H. Hodges

Luther Hartwell Hodges (* 9. March 1898 in Pittsylvania County , Virginia , †  6. October 1974 in Chapel Hill , North Carolina ) was an American politician of the Democratic Party , 64th  Governor of the State of North Carolina and US Secretary of Commerce .

Early years and political advancement

Hodges came to Eden , North Carolina with his parents when he was two years old . After attending local schools, he attended the University of North Carolina until 1919 . Then he made a career in the textile industry with the company "Marshall Field Mills" and rose to the management level. He was also a member of the Vocational School Supervision Commission (1929-1933) and the North Carolina Highway Commission , of which he was a member from 1933-1937. In 1945 he became an advisor to the US Department of Agriculture and the US Army in occupied Germany. In 1952 he was elected lieutenant governor of North Carolina. He held this office until November 7, 1954. That day, Governor William Umstead passed away in office.

North Carolina Governor

After Umstead's death, Hodges was automatically succeeded by the governor as lieutenant governor. He initially ended his predecessor's term in office and was then elected for another full four-year term in 1956. That made him the longest uninterrupted term of North Carolina governor to date. This was also due to the constitution, which only allowed a single continuous term of office. Hodges was allowed to be elected in 1956 because his first term did not include a full four years. Overall he was from November 7, 1954 to January 5, 1961 governor of North Carolina. In this position he promoted industrial development in his country. A strike in the textile industry was settled and a minimum wage law was passed. During Hodges tenure, the racist judicial scandal Kissing Case fell , which was made internationally known and led to international protests against North Carolina and the USA. Hodges initially refused to pardon two black children who had been convicted of sexual harassment because a white girl had kissed them. Hodges is said to have later tried to appease the racial conflict that had become a central issue in many southern states during those years . Therefore, a plan for racial integration in schools was drawn up.

Further career

At the end of his term in office he was appointed Secretary of Commerce in his cabinet by President John F. Kennedy . He held this office between 1961 and 1965; thus he kept for some time under Kennedy's successor Lyndon B. Johnson . He was then chairman of the Research Triangle Foundation and the International Rotary Club . Luther Hodges died in November 1974. He was married twice and had a total of three children.

Web links

• Luther Hodges in the National Governors Association (English)
• Luther Hodges at the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia (English)
• Luther Hodges in the database of Find a Grave (English)