Luther H. Hodges

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

Early years and political rise

Hodges came at the age of two years with his parents in Eden, North Carolina. After the local schools he attended until 1919, the University of North Carolina. Then he made a career in the textile industry at the company " Marshall Field Mills " and rose up in the boardroom. Besides, he was a member of the Commission to monitor the vocational schools ( 1929-1933 ) and the Transport Committee of North Carolina ( Highway Commission ) where he served from 1933 to 1937. in 1945, he was adviser to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Army in occupied Germany. 1952 he was elected Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina. this office he held until November 7 in 1954. at this day died Governor William Umstead in office.

Governor of North Carolina

After Umsteads death Hodges was Vice Governor automatically its successor in the office of the governor. He initially ended the tenure of his predecessor, and was then confirmed in 1956 by the voters for another full four -year term. He had hitherto longest continuous tenure of a governor of North Carolina. This was also due to the Constitution, which allowed only a single contiguous tenure. Hodges was to be elected in 1956, because his first term did not include a full four years. Overall, he was between November 7, 1954 to January 5, 1961 Governor of North Carolina. In this position, he promoted the industrial development in his country. A strike in the textile industry has been resolved and a minimum wage law was passed. He also tried to breed conflict, which in those years was a central theme in many southern states, to appease. Therefore, a plan for racial integration was designed in schools.

More career

After the expiration of his term of office he was appointed by President John F. Kennedy to the trade ministers in his cabinet. This office he held from 1961-1965; thus he kept still for some time under Kennedy's successor, Lyndon B. Johnson. After that, he was chairman of the " Research Triangle " Foundation and the International Rotary Club. Luther Hodges died in November 1974. He was married twice and had three children.