Thomas Gordon McLeod

Thomas Gordon McLeod (born December 17, 1868 in Lynchburg , Lee County , South Carolina , † December 11, 1932 in Bishopville , South Carolina) was an American politician and governor of the state of South Carolina from 1923 to 1927 .

Early years and political advancement

Thomas McLeod attended Wofford College until 1892 . After completing a law degree, he was admitted to the bar in 1896. He then opened a law firm in Bishopville. Between 1900 and 1902 McLeod was an MP in the South Carolina House of Representatives . For the next four years until 1906 he was a member of the State Senate . Under Governor Martin F. Ansel , who served between 1907 and 1911, McLeod was his lieutenant governor . In the run-up to the gubernatorial elections of 1922, he prevailed within the Democratic Party against the controversial ex-governor Coleman Livingston Blease . In the actual election on November 7, 1922, he was unopposed and was thus elected the new governor. Two years later he was re-elected to this office without a candidate.

Governor of south carolina

In his four-year tenure, McLeod was very committed to tax reform. However, this failed due to resistance from parliament. Like his predecessors, he promoted the school system in his country. He campaigned for equality and first proposed a woman as lieutenant governor in the United States in 1924. He was responsible for funding the South Carolina expressway system through user fees. In 1926, the South Carolina Constitution was amended to extend the governor's term of office from two years to four years. No contiguous terms of office were possible for this. Otherwise, McLeod's term of office was uneventful. In 1926 he was no longer allowed to stand for re-election and so he left office on January 18, 1927.

Further life

In the following years, McLeod held various positions. He has served as a district agent for a life and casualty insurance company, director of Bishopville National Bank, and president of the Bishopville Telephone Company. Thomas McLeod died in December 1932. He was married to Elizabeth Alford, with whom he had four children.

literature

Robert Sobel and John Raimo (Eds.): Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States, 1789–1978. Volume 4. Meckler Books, Westport, CT, 1978. 4 volumes.
The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography. Vol. 12. James T. White & Company, New York

Web links

personal data
SURNAME	McLeod, Thomas Gordon
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	American politician
DATE OF BIRTH	December 17, 1868
PLACE OF BIRTH	Lynchburg , South Carolina
DATE OF DEATH	December 11, 1932
Place of death	Bishopville , South Carolina