James Holshouser facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
James Holshouser
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| 68th Governor of North Carolina | |
| In office January 5, 1973 – January 8, 1977 |
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| Lieutenant | Jim Hunt |
| Preceded by | Robert Scott |
| Succeeded by | Jim Hunt |
| Chair of the North Carolina Republican Party | |
| In office 1966–1971 |
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| Preceded by | Jim Gardner |
| Succeeded by | Frank Rouse |
| Member of the North Carolina House of Representatives from the 44th district |
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| In office 1969–1973 |
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| Preceded by | Mack Stewart Isaac |
| Succeeded by | Ernest Bryan Messer Liston Bryan Ramsey |
| Member of the North Carolina House of Representatives from Watauga County |
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| In office 1963–1967 |
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| Preceded by | Murray Harris Coffey |
| Succeeded by | District abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
James Eubert Holshouser Jr.
October 8, 1934 Boone, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Died | June 17, 2013 (aged 78) Pinehurst, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Patricia Ann Hollingsworth |
| Education | Davidson College (BS) University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (LLB) |
James Eubert Holshouser Jr. (born October 8, 1934 – died June 17, 2013) was an American lawyer and politician. He served as the 68th Governor of North Carolina from 1973 to 1977. He made history as the first Republican to be elected governor of the state since 1896.
Born in Boone, North Carolina, Holshouser first thought about becoming a sports journalist. However, he later chose to study law. While in law school, he became interested in politics. In 1962, he was elected to the North Carolina House of Representatives. There, he worked on improving government and higher education. He became chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party in 1966. He helped create the party's first permanent staff. He also became well-known for opposing a cigarette tax.
Holshouser ran for governor in 1972. He won the Republican nomination and then narrowly beat his Democratic opponent. As governor, he hired many Republicans into state jobs. He also appointed the first woman to a cabinet-level position in North Carolina. He introduced hundreds of ways to save money for the state. Even though he couldn't veto laws and faced a legislature mostly made up of Democrats, he worked well with Lieutenant Governor Jim Hunt. They supported expanding kindergarten and environmental laws. Holshouser was a practical leader. After leaving office in 1977, he continued to practice law and served on the UNC Board of Governors. He passed away in 2013.
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James Holshouser's Early Life and Education
James Eubert Holshouser Jr. was born on October 8, 1934, in Boone, North Carolina. His parents were James E. Holshouser and Virginia Dayvault Holshouser. His father was an active Republican. He served on the state election board and as a U.S. Attorney. His mother was a Democrat but later became a Republican. The Holshouser family was well-respected in Watauga County. James Jr. was often sick as a child with asthma and pneumonia. This kept him from playing sports.
Holshouser went to Appalachian High School starting in 1948. He was the senior class president and editor of the school newspaper. He was also a member of the National Honor Society. After graduating in 1952, he attended Davidson College. He studied history and worked on the school newspaper and yearbook. He thought about becoming a sports writer. He even worked for The Charlotte Observer during his last year. But he decided to follow his father's path and become a lawyer.
He graduated from Davidson College in 1956. In 1957, he started at the University of North Carolina School of Law. He earned his law degree in 1960. After that, he joined his father's law firm in Boone. He married Patricia Hollingsworth on June 17, 1961. They had one daughter, Virginia, who was born in 1963.
Starting His Political Career
Growing up, politics was a normal part of his home life. However, Holshouser wasn't very interested in a political career at first. He became more interested in public affairs during law school. He was especially keen on court reform. During this time, he began to attend meetings of the North Carolina General Assembly. In 1962, he became chairman of the Young Republicans in Watauga County.
In November 1962, Holshouser was elected to the North Carolina House of Representatives. He represented Watauga County. His campaign focused on court reform, lower taxes, and a car inspection law. He took office on February 7, 1963. During his time in the House, he worked on changing government and higher education. In 1965, he became the Republican floor leader in the House. This made him the highest-ranking Republican in the state government.
He skipped the 1967 session but returned to the House in 1969. In March 1966, he became chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party. He led Republican Richard Nixon's presidential campaign in North Carolina in 1968. He became well-known across the state the next year. This was when he spoke out against Governor Robert W. Scott's plan to tax cigarettes. He also set up the party's first permanent staff. He left his role as party chairman in November 1971. He wanted to focus on running for governor in 1972.
Becoming Governor of North Carolina
The 1972 Election
Holshouser announced he would run for Governor of North Carolina on November 15, 1971. He had kidney disease, but he decided to run despite his doctor's worries. In the Republican primary election, he ran against Jim Gardner. Gardner was a conservative U.S. Representative from eastern North Carolina. Holshouser focused his campaign on the western mountain counties and the urban Piedmont areas. These were traditionally Republican strongholds.
Gardner won the first primary by a small number of votes. Holshouser then called for a second round of voting, called a runoff. In the runoff, fewer people voted, and Holshouser won by a very close margin of 1,782 votes.
Holshouser's campaign promised to raise teachers' salaries and make class sizes smaller. He also wanted to expand the public kindergarten program. Other promises included building new roads and supporting a war on drugs. He was against new taxes on gasoline and tobacco. He also ran an ad saying he was against desegregation busing.
He narrowly defeated Democrat Skipper Bowles in the general election. Holshouser likely benefited from Richard Nixon's big win in North Carolina for president that year. Holshouser did well in Republican areas and also gained support in cities like Charlotte and Raleigh. He appealed to women, younger voters, and more black voters than other conservative Republicans. Many people thought Holshouser's win was a "fluke" or a lucky event. He became governor on January 5, 1973. At 38 years old, he was the youngest governor since the 1800s. He was also the first Republican governor since 1896.
What He Did as Governor
When Holshouser became governor, he didn't have much experience leading a state government. He often reacted to ideas from others instead of creating his own. He replaced many state employees with Republicans. This was a practice called patronage, where jobs are given to political supporters. For example, 100 employees in the Department of Transportation were removed.
Holshouser's first order created a commission to study how to make government more efficient. This group suggested 700 ways to save money. These included using five-year license plates and smaller cars for state agencies. Holshouser's team adopted about 600 of these ideas. He later estimated these changes saved the state $80 million each year. He also took a much more active role in planning the state's budget.
He issued 21 executive orders during his time as governor. During the 1973 oil crisis, he ordered lower speed limits and less heating in government buildings. He moved the Office of Child Development to the Department of Health and Human Services. In 1975, he opened an office in Washington, D.C.. This office helped coordinate actions between the state and federal governments. The Governor's Mansion was renovated during his term. He and his wife lived in a private home for nine months.
As governor, Holshouser was part of several important groups. These included the National Governors Association. He also created the Office of Governor's Ombudsman in 1973. This office helped people with questions and complaints about the state government. He appointed Grace Rohrer as Commissioner of Art, History and Culture. She was the first woman to hold a cabinet-level position in North Carolina. He also appointed a special assistant for minority affairs. He supported Soul City, a planned community to help black residents. In September 1973, he led a trade group to Moscow.
Working with Lawmakers
Holshouser did not have veto power over the General Assembly. This meant he couldn't stop laws passed by the Democratic-controlled legislature. So, he tried to avoid big fights with lawmakers. He had a good relationship with the Assembly members. Many of them knew him from his time as a state representative. He also worked well with Lieutenant Governor Jim Hunt. They tried to reduce political disagreements during their first two years.
North Carolina had a $265 million budget surplus when Holshouser took office. This extra money helped him keep some of his campaign promises. He worked with Hunt on budget plans. In 1973, they included Hunt's idea to expand kindergarten in the state. This plan became law. By 1977, all children in North Carolina could attend kindergarten. His budget also increased money for state parks. He and Hunt worked together to create the Coastal Area Management Act. This law helped control building along the coast. They also encouraged the state legislature to approve the Equal Rights Amendment. However, it did not pass.
Political Challenges
In the mid-1900s, North Carolina's two main political parties didn't have strong differences in beliefs. People often chose a party based on their family's history. By the 1970s, the national Democratic Party became more liberal. This led some conservative Democrats in the South to join the Republican Party. The Republican Party itself had split into moderate and conservative groups.
Holshouser was a practical, middle-ground leader. His control over the state Republican Party was not always strong. He had campaigned separately from U.S. Senator Jesse Helms, a conservative Republican. While they were polite to each other, there were tensions between their groups. Some people thought Holshouser was as conservative as Helms but less outspoken. Holshouser described himself as someone seen as conservative by the left and moderate by the right.
A disagreement started in 1973 when one of Holshouser's aides fired some conservative Democrats. These people had similar ideas to Helms' supporters. The Republican Party chairman, Frank Rouse, asked Holshouser to fire the aide. Holshouser refused. He then successfully supported Tom Bennet to replace Rouse as chairman.
In 1974, many Republicans lost elections in North Carolina. This was partly due to the Watergate scandal. Holshouser's temporary appointee for attorney general also lost. He continued to have good relations with Democratic lawmakers. However, he faced more opposition from Helms' conservative wing of the Republican Party. This was partly because Holshouser supported William C. Stevens for a U.S. Senate race in 1974. Helms had supported a different candidate.
In 1976, Holshouser supported Gerald Ford for president. He was Ford's campaign chairman in the South. Helms supported the more conservative Ronald Reagan. Reagan won the North Carolina presidential primary with Helms' help. The state Republican convention refused to make Holshouser a delegate to the national convention. Holshouser was even booed when he spoke at the state convention. He still went to the national convention but did not sit with the North Carolina group. Holshouser could only serve one term as governor. Jim Hunt succeeded him on January 8, 1977.
Later Life and Legacy
After leaving office, Holshouser went back to practicing law. He worked at firms in Boone and Southern Pines. In 1978, he moved to Southern Pines. He learned to fly a Cessna 172 plane. He also worked as the official attorney for the Moore County Board of Commissioners for several years.
In 1979, he was elected to the Board of Governors of the University of North Carolina. He later became an emeritus member. He also served on the boards of St. Andrews Presbyterian College and Davidson College. He continued to have kidney problems and received dialysis. In 1986, he had a kidney transplant. Because of this, he supported organ transplant organizations. He served on the board of directors for the United Network for Organ Sharing.
In 1977, Holshouser, Hunt, and former governor Terry Sanford supported changing the North Carolina Constitution. They wanted to allow governors to run for a second term. Holshouser decided not to run for governor again. He later said he and his wife were very tired by the end of 1976. They were ready for a break from politics and to return to private life.
Out of office, he served on committees for Republican candidates. In 1984, he campaigned for James G. Martin's election as governor. In 1997, he and Sanford opened a law firm together. He also served on Pat McCrory's team after McCrory was elected governor.
Holshouser's wife passed away in 2006. He died on June 17, 2013, in Pinehurst, North Carolina, after his health declined. His body was cremated. A funeral was held for him on June 21.
Honors and Impact
A building at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds was named after Holshouser in 1975. A part of U.S. Route 321 near Boone was named for him in 1986. Professorships (special teaching positions) were created in his honor at Appalachian State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In 2006, he received the North Carolina Award. This is the state's highest honor for civilians. His official desk is kept in the governor's office building.
Historian Karl Campbell said Holshouser's actions were similar to the moderate Democratic governors before him. Journalist Rob Christensen wrote that Holshouser played a big role in making North Carolina a state with two strong political parties. Holshouser himself said his time as governor showed that "North Carolina could operate for four years with a Republican governor without the world coming to an end." Jim Hunt called him one of North Carolina's "better angels."
Images for kids
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Holshouser (third from left) with a North Carolina economic delegation in Moscow, September 1973
