James Eubert Holshouser Jr. (October 8, 1934 – June 17, 2013) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 68th

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

from 1973 to 1977. He was the first

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

candidate to be elected as governor of the state since 1896. Born in

Boone, North Carolina Boone is a town in and the county seat of Watauga County, North Carolina, United States. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina, Boone is the home of Appalachian State University and the headquarters for the disaster a ...

, Holshouser initially sought to become a sports journalist before deciding to pursue a law degree. While in law school he developed an interest in politics and in 1962 he was elected to the

North Carolina House of Representatives The North Carolina House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the North Carolina General Assembly. The House is a 120-member body led by a Speaker of the House, who holds powers similar to those of the President pro-tem in the North Ca ...

where he focused on restructuring government and higher education institutions, and drug abuse legislation. Made chairman of the

North Carolina Republican Party The North Carolina Republican Party (NCGOP) is the affiliate of the Republican Party in North Carolina. Michael Whatley has been the chair since 2019. History Nineteenth century Although Republicans first nominated a candidate for President o ...

in March 1966, he established the organization's first permanent staff and gained prominence by opposing a cigarette tax. Holshouser ran for the office of Governor of North Carolina in 1972, winning the Republican nomination and narrowly defeating his Democratic opponent in the general election. Inaugurated in January 1973, he fired many incumbent state employees to accommodate the awarding of

patronage Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows on another. In the history of art, arts patronage refers to the support that kings, popes, and the wealthy have provided to artists su ...

to hundreds of Republicans who had been unable to work in the state administration under Democratic control, appointed the first woman in a cabinet-level position in the state's history, and enacted hundreds of cost-cutting measures. Though not empowered with

veto A veto is a legal power to unilaterally stop an official action. In the most typical case, a president or monarch vetoes a bill to stop it from becoming law. In many countries, veto powers are established in the country's constitution. Veto ...

power and facing a Democrat-dominated legislature, he cultivated a working relationship with Lieutenant Governor

Jim Hunt James Baxter Hunt Jr. (born May 16, 1937) is an American politician and retired attorney who was the List of governors of North Carolina, 69th and 71st Governor of North Carolina (1977–1985, and 1993–2001). He is the longest-serving governo ...

. Together, they backed the expansion of the state's kindergarten program and environmental legislation and unsuccessfully pursued the ratification of the

Equal Rights Amendment The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) is a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution designed to guarantee equal legal rights for all American citizens regardless of sex. Proponents assert it would end legal distinctions between men and ...

. Holshouser governed as a pragmatic centrist, and his control over the state Republican organization was undermined by conservative supporters of U.S. Senator

Jesse Helms Jesse Alexander Helms Jr. (October 18, 1921 – July 4, 2008) was an American politician. A leader in the conservative movement, he served as a senator from North Carolina from 1973 to 2003. As chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee ...

. Leaving office in January 1977, he practiced law in

Southern Pines Southern Pines is a town in Moore County, North Carolina, Moore County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 12,334 as of the 2010 United States Census. History Southern Pines was founded as a winter health resort for Northeastern U ...

and served on the

UNC UNC is a three-letter abbreviation that may refer to: Education * University of Northern California (disambiguation), which may refer to: ** University of Northern California (Santa Rosa), in Petaluma, California, United States ** University of Nor ...

Board of Governors before dying in 2013.

Early life

James Eubert Holshouser Jr. was born on October 8, 1934 in

, United States, to James E. Holshouser and Virginia Dayvault Holshouser. His father was an active member of the

Republican Party Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party. Republican Party may also refer to: Africa *Republican Party (Liberia) * Republican Part ...

who attended party meetings and served on the

North Carolina State Board of Elections The North Carolina State Board of Elections (NCSBE) is an agency of the North Carolina state government charged with the administration of the elections process, as well as campaign finance, and lobbying disclosure and compliance. The State Board ...

and as a

United States Attorney United States attorneys are officials of the U.S. Department of Justice who serve as the chief federal law enforcement officers in each of the 94 U.S. federal judicial districts. Each U.S. attorney serves as the United States' chief federal c ...

under President

Dwight Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...

. His mother was a registered member of the

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

, though she eventually left the party before becoming a Republican in 1972. People in

Watauga County Watauga County ( )
from the North Carolina Collection's website at the

described the Holshouser family as "good livers", meaning they lived comfortably and had respectable social standing. James Jr. was a sickly child and suffered from asthma and periodic afflictions of pneumonia, preventing him from pursuing an interest in sports. Holshouser enrolled at Appalachian High School in 1948. He served as senior class president (he was elected unopposed), editor of the school newspaper, and was a member of the

National Honor Society The National Honor Society (NHS) is a nationwide organization for high school students in the United States and outlying territories, which consists of many chapters in high schools. Selection is based on four criteria: scholarship (academic achi ...

. Graduating in June 1952, he attended

Davidson College Davidson College is a private liberal arts college in Davidson, North Carolina. It was established in 1837 by the Concord Presbytery and named after Revolutionary War general William Lee Davidson, who was killed at the nearby Battle of Cowan� ...

for undergraduate studies, majoring in history. He edited the school newspaper, wrote for the yearbook, and was a member of a fraternity, a literary society, and the international relations club. He strongly considered becoming a sports writer, and during his senior year he worked on the sports section of ''

The Charlotte Observer ''The Charlotte Observer'' is an American English-language newspaper serving Charlotte, North Carolina, and its metro area. The Observer was founded in 1886. As of 2020, it has the second-largest circulation of any newspaper in the Carolinas. I ...

''. He later figured making a career out of sports would cause him to tire of them, so he decided to do what his father had done and become a lawyer. He graduated from Davidson College in 1956 and enrolled at the

University of North Carolina School of Law The University of North Carolina School of Law is the law school of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Established in 1845, Carolina Law is among the oldest law schools in the United States and is the oldest law school in North Carol ...

in September 1957, earning his law degree in 1960. He subsequently joined his father's law practice in Boone and married Patricia Hollingsworth on June 17, 1961. They had one daughter, Virginia, born in 1963.

Early political career

Though politics was a "casual part of life" in his household while growing up, Holshouser paid little interest in pursuing a political career for much of his early life. He grew more interested in public affairs while at law school, particularly in court reform. During this time he began attending sessions of 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 ...

. In 1962 he was elected chairman of the Watauga County Young Republicans. Holshouser was elected in November 1962 to the

representing Watauga County, campaigning on a platform of court reform, low taxes, and creating an automobile inspection law. He was sworn-in on February 7, 1963. Throughout his tenure he focused on restructuring government and higher education institutions, and drug abuse legislation. He became the Republican

floor leader In politics, floor leaders, also known as a caucus leader, are leaders of their respective political party in a body of a legislature. Philippines In the Philippines each body of the bicameral Congress has a majority floor leader and a minor ...

in the House in 1965, thus becoming the highest-ranking Republican public official in the state. Skipping the 1967 session, he returned to the House in 1969. Made chairman of the

in March 1966, Holshouser directed Republican

Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and was ...

's 1968 presidential campaign in North Carolina and rose to statewide prominence the following year when he opposed Governor Robert W. Scott's plan to tax cigarettes. He also established the party organization's first permanent staff. He retired from the party chairmanship in November 1971 to focus on a gubernatorial campaign in 1972. One of his friends, Harry S. Dent Sr., offered to help him get appointed as general counsel for the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

, but he turned the offer down.

Gubernatorial career

Election

Holshouser declared his candidacy for the office of Governor of North Carolina in the 1972 election on November 15, 1971. Suffering from

kidney disease Kidney disease, or renal disease, technically referred to as nephropathy, is damage to or disease of a kidney. Nephritis is an inflammatory kidney disease and has several types according to the location of the inflammation. Inflammation can ...

, he ran in spite of his doctor's concerns about his health. In the Republican

primary Primary or primaries may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music Groups and labels * Primary (band), from Australia * Primary (musician), hip hop musician and record producer from South Korea * Primary Music, Israeli record label Works * ...

he faced

Jim Gardner James or Jim Gardner may refer to: * James Gardner (surveyor), British engineer * James Gardner (designer) (1907–1995), British industrial designer * James Gardner (musician) (born 1962), British musician and composer * James A. Gardner (1943–1 ...

, a conservative U.S. Representative who hailed from eastern North Carolina and had run as the Republican candidate in 1968. Holshouser focused his campaign on the traditionally Republican counties in the mountainous west and the urban Piedmont. Gardner won the first primary by a small margin, 84,906 votes to Holshouser's 83,637, while minor candidates took 2,040 votes. Holshouser called for a

runoff Runoff, run-off or RUNOFF may refer to: * RUNOFF, the first computer text-formatting program * Runoff or run-off, another name for bleed, printing that lies beyond the edges to which a printed sheet is trimmed * Runoff or run-off, a stock market ...

, and in the second round voter participation dropped, giving Holshouser a victory by 1,782 votes. Holshouser campaigned on a platform of raising teachers' salaries, reducing class sizes, expanding the public

kindergarten Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th cent ...

program, building new roads, supporting a

war on drugs The war on drugs is a Globalization, global campaign, led by the United States federal government, of prohibition of drugs, drug prohibition, military aid, and military intervention, with the aim of reducing the illegal drug trade in the Unite ...

, and opposing taxes on gasoline and tobacco. Despite the reservations of his wife, he authorized the broadcasting of an ad declaring his opposition to

desegregation busing Race-integration busing in the United States (also known simply as busing, Integrated busing or by its critics as forced busing) was the practice of assigning and student transport, transporting students to schools within or outside their local s ...

at the encouragement of his media consultant,

Roger Ailes Roger Eugene Ailes (May 15, 1940 – May 18, 2017) was an American television executive and media consultant. He was the chairman and CEO of Fox News, Fox Television Stations and 20th Television. Ailes was a media consultant for Republican ...

. He narrowly defeated Democrat

Skipper Bowles Hargrove "Skipper" Bowles Jr. (November 16, 1919 – September 7, 1986) was an American Democratic politician and businessman, based in Greensboro, North Carolina. Early life Hargrove Bowles Jr. was born on November 16, 1919 in Monroe, North ...

in the general election, 767,470 votes to 729,104, likely benefitting from the

coattails The coattail effect or down-ballot effect is the tendency for a popular political party leader to attract votes for other candidates of the same party in an election. For example, in the United States, the party of a victorious presidential cand ...

of Republican Richard Nixon's large victory in North Carolina in the presidential election. Holshouser led in the traditionally-Republican mountain and western Piedmont counties, while also gaining a majority in the

Charlotte Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont (United States), Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Meckl ...

Winston-Salem Winston-Salem is a city and the county seat of Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States. In the 2020 census, the population was 249,545, making it the second-largest municipality in the Piedmont Triad region, the 5th most populous city in N ...

Raleigh Raleigh (; ) is the capital city of the state of North Carolina and the seat of Wake County in the United States. It is the second-most populous city in North Carolina, after Charlotte. Raleigh is the tenth-most populous city in the Southeas ...

, and Wilmington metro areas. He performed well among women and younger voters, while also appealing more to black voters than more conservative Republicans such as Gardner and U.S. Senator

. Bowles had also been harmed by a fractious primary. Both Republicans and Democrats generally considered Holshouser's victory a "fluke". He was inaugurated on January 5, 1973. At age 38, he was the state's youngest governor since the 19th century and the first Republican governor since

Daniel Lindsay Russell Daniel Lindsay Russell Jr. (August 7, 1845May 14, 1908) was the 49th Governor of North Carolina, serving from 1897 to 1901. An attorney, judge, and politician, he had also been elected as state representative and to the United States Congress, ...

was elected in 1896.

Executive actions

North Carolina economic mission in Moscow

Holshouser lacked executive experience upon assuming gubernatorial office, and had a tendency to react to others' proposals rather than create his own. Upon taking office, he fired many incumbent state employees to accommodate the awarding of

to hundreds of Republicans who had been unable to work in the state administration under Democratic control; 100 employees in the Department of Transportation were removed. Holshouser's first executive order established the Governor's Efficiency Study Commission. After months of study the board recommended 700 cost-cutting measures, including five-year license plates, use of compact cars by state agencies, and centralized printing services. Holshouser's administration adopted about 600 of the suggestions, and he later estimated that the changes saved the state government $80 million annually. Holshouser also pursued a much more active role in the state budgeting process than his predecessors, regularly attending and presiding over sessions of the Advisory Budget Commission. Holshouser issued a total of 21 executive orders during his tenure. To mitigate the effects of the

1973 oil crisis The 1973 oil crisis or first oil crisis began in October 1973 when the members of the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC), led by Saudi Arabia, proclaimed an oil embargo. The embargo was targeted at nations that had supp ...

, he issued instructions to lower speed limits and reduce heating in government buildings. Citing the governor's constitutional prerogative to reorganize departments, he moved the Office of Child Development from the Department of Administration to the

Department of Health and Human Services The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is a cabinet-level executive branch department of the U.S. federal government created to protect the health of all Americans and providing essential human services. Its motto is " ...

. In 1975 he established an office in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, to coordinate actions between the state and federal governments. During his tenure the

Executive Mansion Executive ( exe., exec., execu.) may refer to: Role or title * Executive, a senior management role in an organization ** Chief executive officer (CEO), one of the highest-ranking corporate officers (executives) or administrators ** Executive dire ...

underwent renovations, and for nine months he and his wife lived in a private residence while the work was completed. He also declined to use the governor's office in the

North Carolina State Capitol The North Carolina State Capitol is the former seat of the legislature of the U.S. state of North Carolina which housed all of the state's government until 1888. The Supreme Court and State Library moved into a separate building in 1888, and the ...

aside from ceremonial purposes. As governor, Holshouser served as a member of the

National Governors Association The National Governors Association (NGA) is an American political organization founded in 1908. The association's members are the governors of the 55 states, territories and commonwealths. Members come to the association from across the politica ...

, chairman of the

Southern Regional Education Board The Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization based in Atlanta, Georgia, that works to improve education at every level in its 16 states: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, M ...

, co-chairman of the Coastal Plains Regional Commission, and chairman of the Southern Growth Policies Board. Concerned about citizen confusion and disillusionment with the increasing complexity of government, he created the Office of Governor's

Ombudsman An ombudsman (, also ,), ombud, ombuds, ombudswoman, ombudsperson or public advocate is an official who is usually appointed by the government or by parliament (usually with a significant degree of independence) to investigate complaints and at ...

on March 21, 1973 to field questions and complaints from the public about state administration. He appointed

Grace Rohrer Grace Rohrer (full name: Grace Jemison Rohrer-Huff; June 14, 1924 – October 12, 2011), was an American educator, arts and women's rights activist, and politician who served as the first woman to hold a state cabinet-level position in North Carol ...

as Commissioner of the Department of Art, History and Culture, the first woman in a

cabinet Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to: Furniture * Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers * Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets * Filing ...

-level position in the state's history, and designated a special assistant for minority affairs. He also appointed a commission to raise money to restore the

Old Main Old Main is a term often applied to the original building present on college or university campuses in the United States. The building serves today as home to administrative offices, such as the president or provost, but in its early inception may ...

building at

Pembroke State University The University of North Carolina at Pembroke (UNCP or UNC Pembroke) is a public university in Pembroke, North Carolina. UNC Pembroke is a master's level degree-granting university and part of the University of North Carolina system. Its history i ...

following its destruction by fire. Holshouser publicly supported the federally-backed planned community of

Soul City In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...

to improve economic opportunity for blacks and boost minority electoral support for Republicans. He led a trade delegation to Moscow in September 1973. He appointed Republican James H. Carson Jr. to serve as

North Carolina Attorney General The Attorney General of North Carolina is a statewide elected office in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The attorney general is a constitutional officer responsible for representing state agencies in legal matters, supplying other state offici ...

in August 1974 following Democratic incumbent

Robert Burren Morgan Robert Burren Morgan (October 5, 1925 – July 16, 2016) was an American politician. He was a Democratic United States Senator from the state of North Carolina for a single term from 1975 until 1981. Life and career Born in Lillington, North C ...

's resignation and appointed Republican Thomas Avery Nye Jr. to become

North Carolina Commissioner of Labor The Commissioner of Labor is a statewide elected office in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The commissioner is a constitutional officer who leads the state's Department of Labor. North Carolina's general statues provide the commissioner with br ...

in September 1975 to fill a vacancy created by the death of the previous Democratic incumbent, William C. Creel. He also filled two vacancies on the

North Carolina Court of Appeals The North Carolina Court of Appeals (in case citation, N.C. Ct. App.) is the only intermediate appellate court in the state of North Carolina. It is composed of fifteen members who sit in rotating panels of three. The Court of Appeals was created ...

and four on the

North Carolina Superior Court The Superior Court is North Carolina's general jurisdiction trial court. It was established in 1777 and is North Carolina's oldest court. Jurisdiction and administration The Superior Court is the trial court of general jurisdiction in North Caroli ...

Legislative actions

With no

power over the Democratic-dominated General Assembly, Holshouser tried to avoid political conflict with legislators except over explicitly

partisan Partisan may refer to: Military * Partisan (weapon), a pole weapon * Partisan (military), paramilitary forces engaged behind the front line Films * ''Partisan'' (film), a 2015 Australian film * ''Hell River'', a 1974 Yugoslavian film also know ...

issues. Party association aside, Holshouser maintained a good relationship with the Assembly, as most of its members had known him when he was a state representative, including Senate majority leader Gordon Allen and Speaker of the House James E. Ramsey. He enjoyed a good working relationship with Lieutenant Governor

, who held sway in the legislature, and during their first two years in office they minimized partisanship in dealing with each other. In some instances the legislature attempted to weaken the powers of his office but Allen, Ramsey, and Hunt—all aspiring to be governor one day—stopped these challenges. The legislature rejected his 1973 proposal to authorize governors to run for a consecutive term. Holshouser came into office when North Carolina had a $265 million budget surplus, which enabled him to fulfill some of his campaign promises. He consulted Hunt on budget proposals and incorporated Hunt's plan to expand kindergarten in the state educational system in his January 1973 budget. The plan was passed into law, and was gradually phased in so that by 1977 all children in North Carolina would be enrolled in kindergarten. His budget also expanded funding for state parks and he worked with Hunt to create the Coastal Area Management Act to control development along the Eastern Seaboard. Holshouser supported a similar bill for mountain regions, but failed to secure the support of Republican legislators to pass it. The two encouraged the state legislature to ratify the

to the

United States Constitution The Constitution of the United States is the Supremacy Clause, supreme law of the United States, United States of America. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, in 1789. Originally comprising seven ar ...

, but it failed approval. New legislative proposals from Holshouser decreased after the state's budgetary situation tightened in 1975.

Political affairs

In the mid-20th century the two major political parties in North Carolina had little ideological basis; party identification was generally a matter of generational descent tracing back to loyalties from the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

. By the 1970s the national Democratic Party had drifted leftward on economic and social questions, leading some southern conservative Democrats to join the Republican Party. Since 1964, the Republican Party had nationally diverged into a moderate wing and a conservative wing. Holshouser governed as a pragmatic centrist, and his control over the state party was tenuous. In the 1972 election he had campaigned independently of Helms. The two maintained cordial relations with each other, though the tensions between their respective wings for the party strained communication between them for decades. Whether they were truly of much different ideological persuasions is unknown, though public perception of each man was different. State Senator

Phil Kirk Phillip J. Kirk Jr. (born November 24, 1944) is a North Carolina political figure. He is a former chairman of the North Carolina State Board of Education (1997–2003) and a former president of the North Carolina Chamber of Commerce (then known ...

opined, "Holsouser is probably as conservative as Helms but not as vociferous." When asked about his beliefs, Holshouser said, "I find people on the left view me as a conservative and people on the right view me as a moderate or maybe moderate conservative. I have never viewed myself left of center." A feud began in June 1973 when one of Holshouser's close aides, Gene Anderson, fired several conservative Democrats from state office, even though they were ideologically similar to Helms' supporters. Republican Party chairman Frank Rouse, a conservative who had supported Gardner and Helms, visited Holshouser to ask him to fire Anderson. The governor refused, and successfully backed Tom Bennet to replace Rouse in the autumn of 1973. In 1974 an electoral backlash against Republicans—in part due to the

Watergate scandal The Watergate scandal was a major political scandal in the United States involving the administration of President Richard Nixon from 1972 to 1974 that led to Nixon's resignation. The scandal stemmed from the Nixon administration's continual ...

—ousted many legislators in North Carolina. Holshouser's interim appointee for attorney general, Carson, was also defeated. All of his judicial appointees, save for a single Democrat, lost re-election. The governor continued to maintain good relations with Democratic legislators, but began experiencing more opposition from Helms' wing of the Republican Party. This was in part due Holshouser's backing of William C. Stevens—a relative of Republican Congressman

Jim Broyhill James Thomas Broyhill (born August 19, 1927) is an American former businessman and United States Republican Party, Republican United States House of Representatives, U.S. Representative and United States Senator, Senator from the state of North ...

—for nomination in the 1974 U.S. Senate race, instead of Helms' choice, State Senator Hamilton C. Horton. Holshouser and party regulars supported

Gerald Ford Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. ( ; born Leslie Lynch King Jr.; July 14, 1913December 26, 2006) was an American politician who served as the 38th president of the United States from 1974 to 1977. He was the only president never to have been elected ...

for president in 1976, with the governor serving as Ford's southern campaign chairman. Helms supported the more conservative

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...

. Reagan won the North Carolina presidential primary with Helms' backing, and the Republican state convention refused to appoint Holshouser or Broyhill as a delegate to the

1976 Republican National Convention The 1976 Republican National Convention was a United States political convention of the Republican Party that met from August 16 to August 19, 1976, to select the party's nominee for President. Held in Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri, the ...

. Holshouser was booed when he addressed the state Republican convention. He attended the national convention anyway, but did not sit with the North Carolina delegation. Legally restricted to one term, Holshouser was succeeded by Hunt on January 8, 1977.

Later life

After leaving office, Holshouser returned to the practice of law, splitting his time between firms in Boone and

. In 1978 he moved to the latter town. He secured a pilot's license and flew a

Cessna 172 The Cessna 172 Skyhawk is an American four-seat, single-engine, high wing, fixed-wing aircraft made by the Cessna Aircraft Company.

between the two locales. He worked for several years as the official attorney of the Moore County Board of Commissioners. He was elected to the Board of Governors of the

University of North Carolina The University of North Carolina is the multi-campus public university system for the state of North Carolina. Overseeing the state's 16 public universities and the NC School of Science and Mathematics, it is commonly referred to as the UNC Sy ...

in 1979, and later served as a member emeritus. He also served on the Boards of

St. Andrews Presbyterian College St. Andrews University is a private Presbyterian liberal arts college in Laurinburg, North Carolina. The university was established in 1958 as a result of a merger of Flora MacDonald College in Red Springs and Presbyterian Junior College; it wa ...

Laurinburg Laurinburg is a city in and the county seat of Scotland County, North Carolina, United States. Located in southern North Carolina near the South Carolina border, Laurinburg is southwest of Fayetteville and is home to St. Andrews University. ...

and Davidson College. Continuing to suffer kidney problems that were treated with

dialysis Dialysis may refer to: *Dialysis (chemistry), a process of separating molecules in solution **Electrodialysis, used to transport salt ions from one solution to another through an ion-exchange membrane under the influence of an applied electric pote ...

, he underwent

kidney transplantation Kidney transplant or renal transplant is the organ transplant of a kidney into a patient with end-stage kidney disease (ESRD). Kidney transplant is typically classified as deceased-donor (formerly known as cadaveric) or living-donor transplantati ...

in 1986. As a result, he gave his support to organ transplant organizations and served on the board of directors of the

United Network for Organ Sharing The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) is a non-profit, scientific and educational organization that administers the only Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) in the United States, established () by the U.S. Congress in 1984 b ...

. Holshouser joined with Hunt and former governor

Terry Sanford James Terry Sanford (August 20, 1917April 18, 1998) was an American lawyer and politician from North Carolina. A member of the Democratic Party, Sanford served as the 65th Governor of North Carolina from 1961 to 1965, was a two-time U.S. pre ...

in 1977 in supporting the amending of the

North Carolina Constitution The Constitution of the State of North Carolina governs the structure and function of the state government of North Carolina, one of the United States; it is the highest legal document for the state and subjugates North Carolina law. All U.S. st ...

to allow gubernatorial succession. He decided against pursuing reelection to the governorship, later explaining, " y wife and Iwere very, very tired by the end of 1976. And we were ready for a break from politics, ready to sort of get out of the limelight and back in the private sector because I never really anticipated a political career." Out of office he served on several steering and advisory committees for Republican gubernatorial and senatorial candidates. In 1984 he campaigned for

James G. Martin James Grubbs Martin (born December 11, 1935) is an American organic chemist and politician who served as the List of Governors of North Carolina, 70th governor of North Carolina from 1985 to 1993. He was the third Republican elected to the of ...

's election as governor and two years later he led a group, Citizens for a Conservative Court, which sought to block

James G. Exum James Gooden Exum Jr. also known as Jim Exum (born September 14, 1935) is an American jurist who served on the North Carolina Supreme Court from 1975 to 1994, and as chief justice from 1986 to 1994. Under his leadership, the court "expanded civil ...

's election as Chief Justice of the

North Carolina Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the State of North Carolina is the state of North Carolina's highest appellate court. Until the creation of the North Carolina Court of Appeals in the 1960s, it was the state's only appellate court. The Supreme Court consists ...

. He also served as Gardner's legislative liaison while the latter was lieutenant governor. In 1997 he and Sanford opened a law firm together. He served on

Pat McCrory Patrick Lloyd McCrory (born October 17, 1956) is an American businessman, politician and radio host who served as the 74th governor of North Carolina from 2013 to 2017. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as the 53rd Mayor o ...

political transition team A political transition team is used when there is a change of political leadership, to enable an orderly and peaceful transfer of power. Canada When a new Prime Minister, provincial premier or party leader is elected; a transition team is usua ...

after the latter was elected governor. Holshouser's wife died in 2006. He died on the morning of June 17, 2013 at First Health of the Carolinas Medical Center in Pinehurst following a decline in his health. His body was cremated and a funeral was held for him on June 21 at Brownson Memorial Presbyterian Church in Southern Pines.

Legacy and honors

A building bearing Holshouser's name was erected at the

North Carolina State Fairgrounds The North Carolina State Fair is an American state fair and agricultural exposition held annually in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1853, the fair is organized by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. It attr ...

in 1975 and a stretch of U.S. Route 321 outside of Boone was named for him in 1986. Professorships were endowed in his honor at

Appalachian State University Appalachian State University (; Appalachian, App State, App, or ASU) is a public university in Boone, North Carolina. It was founded as a teachers college in 1899 by brothers B. B. and D. D. Dougherty and the latter's wife, Lillie Shull Dough ...

and the

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States ...

in 1997 and 2012, respectively. He was accorded the

North Carolina Award The North Carolina Award is the highest civilian award bestowed by the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is awarded in the four fields of science, literature, the fine arts, and public service. Sometimes referred to as the "Nobel Prize of North Carol ...

—the state's highest civilian honor—for public service in 2006. His official desk is kept at the governor's office in the Department of Administration building. Historian Karl Campbell described his record as falling "well within the parameters of the moderate progressive Democratic governors who preceded him." Journalist Rob Christensen wrote, "Few people played a greater role in turning North Carolina into a two-party state than Holshouser". Reflecting on his time in office, Holshouser said in an interview that his service proved that "North Carolina could operate for four years with a Republican governor without the world coming to an end and without causing a major political crisis or anything like that." Hunt referred to him as one of North Carolina's "better angles".

References

Works cited

* * * * * * * * * *
See profile at

Google Books Google Books (previously known as Google Book Search, Google Print, and by its code-name Project Ocean) is a service from Google Inc. that searches the full text of books and magazines that Google has scanned, converted to text using optical c ...

* * * * * * * * * *

External links

*Oral History Interviews with James E. Holshouser Jr

fro
Oral Histories of the American South
''Documenting the American South,'' University of North Carolina , - , - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Holshouser, James E. 1934 births 2013 deaths Davidson College alumni Republican Party governors of North Carolina Republican Party members of the North Carolina House of Representatives People from Boone, North Carolina State political party chairs of North Carolina