William Alexander Hoke (October 25, 1851 – September 13, 1925) was a North Carolina politician and

jurist A jurist is a person with expert knowledge of law; someone who analyses and comments on law. This person is usually a specialist legal scholar, mostly (but not always) with a formal qualification in law and often a legal practitioner. In the Uni ...

who served as an associate justice (1905–1924) and chief justice (1924–1925) 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 ...

. Born in Lincolnton, North Carolina, Hoke's father was a cousin of General

Robert Hoke Robert Frederick Hoke (May 27, 1837 – July 3, 1912) was a Confederate major general during the American Civil War. He was present at one of the earliest battles, the Battle of Big Bethel, where he was commended for coolness and judgment. Wo ...

. He studied law under Chief Justice

Richmond Mumford Pearson Richmond Mumford Pearson (1805–1878) was an American jurist who served as chief justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court from 1858 to 1878. He was the father of Congressman Richmond Pearson and the father-in-law of North Carolina Governor D ...

at Richmond Hill Law School. A

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

, "Alex" Hoke, as he was known, represented Lincoln County in 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 ...

in 1889 and was elected a state

Superior Court In common law systems, a superior court is a court of general jurisdiction over civil and criminal legal cases. A superior court is "superior" in relation to a court with limited jurisdiction (see small claims court), which is restricted to civil ...

judge the following year. He was elected to the state Supreme Court in 1904 as an associate justice. Re-elected in 1912 and 1920, Hoke was appointed chief justice on June 2, 1924, by Governor

Cameron Morrison Cameron A. Morrison (October 5, 1869August 20, 1953) was an American politician and the 55th governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina from 1921 to 1925. Early life and career He was born in 1869 in Richmond County, North Carolina. In 189 ...

, upon the death of Walter Clark. Although he was elected chief justice in November 1924, Hoke resigned in March 1925 due to failing health. He died on September 13, 1925, and is buried in St. Luke's Episcopal Church Cemetery in Lincolnton, North Carolina. A friend of

Zebulon B. Vance Zebulon Baird Vance (May 13, 1830 – April 14, 1894) was the 37th and 43rd governor of North Carolina, a U.S. Senator from North Carolina, and a Confederate officer during the American Civil War. A prolific writer and noted public speake ...

, Hoke chaired the commission to provide a statue of Vance for

Statuary Hall The National Statuary Hall is a chamber in the United States Capitol devoted to sculptures of prominent Americans. The hall, also known as the Old Hall of the House, is a large, two-story, semicircular room with a second story gallery along th ...

in the

United States Capitol The United States Capitol, often called The Capitol or the Capitol Building, is the seat of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, which is formally known as the United States Congress. It is located on Capitol Hill ...

References

North Carolina Historical Marker
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hoke, William 1851 births 1925 deaths Democratic Party members of the North Carolina House of Representatives People from Lincolnton, North Carolina Chief Justices of the North Carolina Supreme Court