Isaac Beverly Lake Sr. (1906–1996), was an American jurist, law professor at Wake Forest University and Campbell University, and politician. He was born in Wake Forest, North Carolina.

Early career

A graduate of Wake Forest College and

Harvard Law School Harvard Law School (Harvard Law or HLS) is the law school of Harvard University, a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest continuously operating law school in the United States. Each class ...

, Lake joined the staff of North Carolina Attorney General

Harry McMullan Harry McMullan (23 July 1884 – 24 June 1955) was an American lawyer and politician who served as North Carolina Attorney General from 1938 until his death in 1955. He served in that office longer than any other person to date (17 years). McMull ...

in 1950. There, he drew upon his knowledge of public utility law to handle rate cases before the state Utilities Commission, which earned him a reputation as a consumer advocate. When the United States Supreme Court invited North Carolina to appear as

amicus curiae An ''amicus curiae'' (; ) is an individual or organization who is not a party to a legal case, but who is permitted to assist a court by offering information, expertise, or insight that has a bearing on the issues in the case. The decision on ...

in the famous '' Brown v. Board of Education'' case in 1954, Lake argued against it, telling the governor that it was a "diabolical scheme" designed to subject the state directly to whatever orders the Court issued as a consequence of the decision. The governor nevertheless decided to file an amicus brief, and Lake presented the state's case in defense of segregation before the Supreme Court during hearings over "Brown II".

1960 campaign for governor

After the Supreme Court handed down its decision insisting on the dismantling of the state's segregated school system, Lake attacked the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in a speech in Asheboro, accusing it of agitating the state's African-American population. Lake's speech established him as a leader of the state's segregationists, some of whom suggested that he should run for governor. Now in private practice, Lake remained coy but continued to assist segregationist efforts, attacking the sitting governor, Luther Hodges, for caving in to national pressure to adopt a moderate course and preparing a bill for the

North Carolina General Assembly The North Carolina General Assembly is the Bicameralism, bicameral legislature of the Government of North Carolina, State government of North Carolina. The legislature consists of two chambers: the North Carolina Senate, Senate and the North Ca ...

that would have amended the state's constitution to remove the requirement for a system of publicly funded schools. Yet as the 1960 gubernatorial election approached, Lake initially announced that he would not be a candidate for governor due to a lack of funds. The entry of the state's moderate attorney-general, Malcolm Seawell into the race, along with the start of the lunch-counter demonstrations in Greensboro caused Lake to change his mind, and he announced his candidacy for the office. In one advertisement, he wrote "The mixing of our two great races in the classroom and then in the home is not inevitable and is not to be tolerated.". Lake made segregation the dominant issue of his campaign, attacking Hodges's management of integration and the NAACP. With Robert Burren Morgan acting as his Campaign Manager, Lake did well enough to place second in the Democratic primary to Terry Sanford, but in the subsequent runoff election, Sanford defeated Lake by a margin of 50,000 votes.

Subsequent career

In 1964 Lake ran for governor again, but he did not survive the first primary. After conceding the race, he threw his support to Judge Dan Moore, which was crucial to Moore's victory in the runoff. In return for his support, Moore named Lake to the next opening on the North Carolina Supreme Court. Lake was sworn-in as an associate justice on August 30, 1965. He served until 1978. He was the father of

I. Beverly Lake Jr. Isaac Beverly Lake Jr. (January 30, 1934 – September 12, 2019) was an American jurist and politician, who served as chief justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court. Early life I. Beverly Lake Jr. was born on January 30, 1934, in Raleigh, Nor ...

, who followed him into politics and law.

References

Presentation of the Portrait of I. Beverly Lake Sr.
* '' Triumph of Good Will: How Terry Sanford Beat a Champion of Segregation and Reshaped the South'' By

John Drescher John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

See book at
Google Books
Oral History Interview with I. Beverly Lake Sr.
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Oral Histories of the American South
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lake, I. Beverly Sr. 1906 births 1996 deaths Justices of the North Carolina Supreme Court North Carolina Democrats American segregationists North Carolina lawyers People from Wake Forest, North Carolina Wake Forest University faculty Wake Forest University alumni Harvard Law School alumni Campbell University faculty 20th-century American judges 20th-century American lawyers Old Right (United States)