R. Gregg Cherry

Robert Gregg Cherry (October 17, 1891 – June 25, 1957) was the 61st governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina from 1945 to 1949.

R. Gregg Cherry
A black and white photograph of a white man in a suit
R. Gregg Cherry, 1945
61st Governor of North Carolina
In office
January 4, 1945 – January 6, 1949
LieutenantLynton Y. Ballentine
Preceded byJ. Melville Broughton
Succeeded byW. Kerr Scott
Personal details
Born
Robert Gregg Cherry

(1891-10-17)October 17, 1891
York County, South Carolina, U.S.
DiedJune 25, 1957(1957-06-25) (aged 65)
Gastonia, North Carolina, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Alma materDuke University

Biography

Born in York County, South Carolina near Rock Hill, Cherry grew up in Gastonia, North Carolina with relatives after the death of his parents. He earned bachelor's and law degrees at Trinity College (now Duke University).[1] He organized and led a volunteer artillery company during World War I.

Cherry served as mayor of Gastonia, as a member and speaker of the North Carolina House of Representatives, as chairman of the North Carolina Democratic Party (1937–1940), and as a member of the North Carolina Senate. In Gastonia, it was joked that he was the best lawyer in town when sober, and the second-best lawyer in town when drunk.[2]

In 1944, Cherry was elected governor as the last in a series of governors affiliated with the political machine of former governor O. Max Gardner.[3] He was sworn-in on January 4, 1945.[4] Cherry inherited an economy facing material and labor shortages as a result of the ongoing Second World War. One of his primary focuses during his term was the improvement of mental health care at state-run facilities. Cherry Hospital in Goldsboro, North Carolina, is named for him.

Unlike most other Southern Democratic governors, Cherry supported Harry S. Truman for re-election in 1948. He was succeeded by W. Kerr Scott on January 6, 1949.[4] He retired from politics and returned to the practice of law.

References
  1. "North Carolina manual [serial]".
  2. Tar Heel Laughter By Richard Walser
  3. Christensen, Rob. The Paradox of Tar Heel Politics. 2008. UNC Press.
  4. Cheney 1981, p. 423.

Works cited
  • Cheney, John L. Jr., ed. (1981). North Carolina Government, 1585-1979 : A Narrative and Statistical History (revised ed.). Raleigh: North Carolina Secretary of State. OCLC 1290270510.
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