Ibra Charles Blackwood

Ibra Charles Blackwood (November 21, 1878 โ€“ February 12, 1936) was the 97th Governor of South Carolina from 1931 to 1935.

Ibra Charles Blackwood
97th Governor of South Carolina
In office
January 20, 1931 โ€“ January 15, 1935
LieutenantJames Sheppard
Preceded byJohn Gardiner Richards, Jr.
Succeeded byOlin D. Johnston
Member of the South Carolina House of Representatives from Spartanburg County
In office
January 13, 1903 โ€“ January 10, 1905
Personal details
Born
Ibra Charles Blackwood

(1878-11-21)November 21, 1878
Spartanburg County, South Carolina
DiedFebruary 12, 1936(1936-02-12) (aged 57)
Spartanburg, South Carolina
NationalityAmerican
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseMargaret Hodges
Alma materWofford College

Biography

Born in rural Spartanburg County, South Carolina, Blackwood studied at Furman University preparatory school and obtained his law degree from Wofford College.[1] During this time he became a brother of Pi Kappa Alpha. He then began to practice law in Spartanburg.

At the age of 24, Blackwood was elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives in 1902. From 1914 to 1916, Blackwood served as a tax collector for the Internal Revenue Service after which he became the solicitor for the Seventh Judicial Circuit of South Carolina.[2]

Blackwood won a contested Democratic primary in 1930 to become the 97th governor of South Carolina. His term as governor was noted for the creation of the South Carolina Public Service Authority in 1934 which provided for a hydroelectric plant at Pinopolis Dam and the construction of numerous dams on the Santee and Cooper Rivers. A major strike in 1934 by the majority of textile workers in the state forced Governor Blackwood to call up the South Carolina National Guard. However, the strike was so severe that the Governor had to commission "constables without compensation" and 6 strikers were killed by these special deputies in Honea Path on September 6.[2][3]

Blackwood resumed the practice of law in Spartanburg upon leaving the governorship in 1935. He died almost a year later on February 12, 1936, and is buried in Greenlawn Memorial Gardens.[1]

References

  1. "South Carolina Governors - Ibra Charles Blackwood - 1931-1935". www.sciway.net. Archived from the original on February 14, 2020. Retrieved 2021-02-10.
  2. "Ibra Charles Blackwood". National Governors Association. Archived from the original on November 24, 2020. Retrieved 2021-02-10.
  3. Edgar, Walter, ed. (2006). The South Carolina Encyclopedia. University of South Carolina Press. ISBN 9781570035982.
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