William L. Saunders facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
William L. Saunders
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| 11th Secretary of State of North Carolina | |
| In office 1879–1891 |
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| Governor | Thomas Jordan Jarvis Alfred Moore Scales |
| Preceded by | Joseph A. Engelhard |
| Succeeded by | Octavius Coke |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 30, 1835 Raleigh, North Carolina |
| Died | April 2, 1891 (aged 55) Raleigh, North Carolina |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Florida Cotten
(m. 1864) |
| Parents | Joseph Hubbard Saunders Laura J. Baker Saunders |
| Alma mater | University of North Carolina |
| Profession | Lawyer, Politician |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Confederate States of America |
| Branch/service |  Confederate States Army |
| Rank |  Colonel |
| Commands | 46th North Carolina Infantry |
| Battles/wars | American Civil War |
William Laurence Saunders (1835-1891) was an American attorney, newspaper editor, historian, Ku Klux Klan chief organizer in North Carolina, and the North Carolina Secretary of State from 1879 until his death in 1891.
Biography
Saunders served as a colonel in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War; commanding the 46th North Carolina Infantry Regiment. He was wounded at the Battle of Fredericksburg and the Battle of the Wilderness. Saunders served as chief clerk of the North Carolina Senate for several years. In 1879, he was appointed Secretary of State by Gov. Thomas Jordan Jarvis to replace his brother-in-law, Joseph A. Engelhard, who had died in office. Saunders then won election to the office in 1880, 1884 and 1888.
He was the editor of the ten-volume Colonial Records of North Carolina, and was a member and secretary-treasurer of the Board of Trustees of his alma mater, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Carolina Hall at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill was formerly named Saunders Hall, to honor Saunders as a Confederate veteran, UNC-Chapel Hill Trustee, and leader of the North Carolina Ku Klux Klan In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, there were calls from UNC students to remove his name from the building because of his leadership in the Klan. In 2015, the building was renamed "Carolina Hall".
He is buried in the graveyard at Calvary Episcopal Church, Tarboro, North Carolina.
