Angus Wilton McLean
Angus W. McLean | |
---|---|
56th Governor of North Carolina | |
In office January 14, 1925 – January 11, 1929 | |
Lieutenant | Jacob E. Long |
Preceded by | Cameron A. Morrison |
Succeeded by | Oliver Max Gardner |
Personal details | |
Born | Robeson County, North Carolina, U.S. | April 20, 1870
Died | June 21, 1935 Washington D.C., U.S. | (aged 65)
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse | Margaret French McLean |
Alma mater | University of North Carolina |
Profession | Businessman |
Signature | |
Angus Wilton McLean (April 20, 1870 – June 21, 1935) was an American lawyer and banker who was the 56th governor of North Carolina, serving from 1925 to 1929. McLean also served as Assistant Secretary of the United States Department of the Treasury from 1920 to 1921.
Biography
He was born in Maxton, North Carolina and educated at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he earned a law degree in 1892. McLean first entered politics in 1892, serving as the chairman of the Robeson County Democratic Executive Committee. A supporter of Woodrow Wilson, he was a delegate to Democratic National Conventions and sat on the Democratic National Committee.[1] From 1918 to 1922 he served on the War Finance Corporation board, and from 1920 to 1921 he was the assistant secretary of the Treasury.[2]
McLean secured the Democratic gubernatorial nomination in 1924 by defeating Josiah W. Bailey.[3] During his tenure, an executive budget system was initiated; a department of conservation and development was established; and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park was formed.[1] Governor McLean also helped streamlined North Carolina's economy, which led to a $2.5 million state budget surplus that his successor Oliver Gardner claimed later helped the state survive the Great Depression.[4][2] After completing his term, McLean retired from political life.
He died on June 21, 1935, in Washington, D.C. Death was attributed to a blood clot in his right lung. He had been ill for several weeks.[5]
Legacy
His son, Hector (1920–2012), became a bank president and state senator.[6]
The McLean family of Robeson county, origins are well documented and integrated in the larger narrative of the region. Through marriage and direct relations Angus Wilton McLean is related to the following individuals:
- Malcom McLean, Trucking Tycoon and "Father of the Intermodal Shipping container"
- Flora MacDonald, "Scottish Heroine"
- "Devil John" Bethea, "South Carolina Revolutionary War Hero"
- Virgil Goode, Member of US House of Representatives from Virginia's 5th District
References
- ^ a b "Angus Wilton Mclean". National Governors Association. Archived from the original on November 27, 2020. Retrieved February 11, 2021.
- ^ a b "Angus W McLean (1925–1929)". North Carolina History Project. Archived from the original on October 19, 2020.
- ^ Moore, John Robert (1964). "The Shaping of a Political Leader: Josiah W. Bailey and the Gubernatorial Campaign of 1924". The North Carolina Historical Review. 41 (2): 190–213. JSTOR 23517188.
- ^ "McLean, Angus Wilton". NCpedia. Archived from the original on January 26, 2021. Retrieved February 11, 2021.
- ^ "Angus Wilton McLean of Washington and Lumberton, NC". www.ncgenweb.us. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
- ^ News & Observer Archived December 10, 2012, at the Wayback Machine