State

Our New Administration Elected by the People By WOODROW PRICK Luther II. Hodges The State's next Lieutenant-Gov¬ ernor, Luther H. Hodges of Lcaks- villc, became a winner on his first try at political races. But he is also a man who has been making good all his life at whatever he turned his hand to. Just why he succeeded in winning the title of Lieutenant-Governor is this: He convinced the voters he meant it when he explained his reason for seeking public office; i.e.. "I want to render the most unselfish, efficient service for my State that I can, and be completely independent of influences except those groups and individuals who are working for the best interests of North Carolina." Now that he has been elected, he reiterates that and says, “I have made no promises — no commitments to anyone. I want to do a good job as Lieutenant-Governor and help carry out the program of Governor-elect Umstcad." Luther Hodges is a quiet, earnest talking man who, as he did in the po¬ litical race just concluded, has the knack of putting his point across. He is 54 years old. is solidly built, weighs 190 pounds and is five feet 1 1 inches tall. He has thick, bushy eyebrows that are several shades darker than his grey hair. He likes to play golf, fish and hunt. He also spends a good deal of his spare time reading books and data on diplo¬ macy and comparative religion. He turns to radio and TV only for special events, such as football games, politi¬ cal conventions and the like. He has supported himself since he started to high school, worked his way through the University of North Caro¬ lina. which he entered in 1915. At the University, he took an A.B. degree, majoring in English. was a leader in YMCA and church activities, was president of the student body and the senior class, was voted "best all 'round" in his senior year. He was on the varsity squad in basketball, man¬ aged the University baseball team and played intra-mural football. He was born on a small farm near Lcaksvillc in 1898. the son of a minor executive in a textile mill. During World War I. he served as a second lieutenant in the Army, still managed to graduate from the University in 1919. He went to work immediately for Marshall Field and worked up from office boy to vice-president. He be¬ came general manager of Fieldcrcst Mills in I93S and vice-president of Marshall Field & Company in 1943. He retired in 1950 and served for a year as chief of the ECA's industry divi¬ sion in Frankfurt. Germany. During World War II he was price execu¬ tive of the OPA’s textile division in Washington. He also was a special consultant to Secretary of Agriculture Clinton P. Anderson, and has served in a number of other consultant and advisory capacities with the govern¬ ment. He was a member of the State Board of Vocational Education under Gov. O. Max Gardner and a member of the State Highway Commission un¬ der Gov. J. С. B. Ehringhaus. He has been active in Legion work and in Rotary Club activities, serving as gov¬ ernor of North Carolina Rotary and as chairman of the convention com¬ mittee of Rotary International in I94S. The Leaksville-Spray Exchange Club nominated him "man of the year" there. He is lay leader and stew- Thad Kure Luther Hodges ard of the Lcaksvillc Methodist Church and is a Mason. Mrs. Hodges is the former Martha Blakcncy of Union County, whom he married in 1922. They have two mar¬ ried daughters, one living in Rangoon. Burma, and the other in New Or¬ leans; and a son. Luther, Jr., who is a senior at Lcaksvillc High School. Thud Eure Your Secretary of State. Thad Eure, a breezy, hail-fellow-wcll-ijict type, is Capitol Square's most fastidious dress¬ er and enthusiastic handshaker. He delights in personally ushering visitors into his office, which he emphasizes belongs to the people, and he con¬ verses as freely with the little men who visit him as he does with the big ones. At 53. he is a 180-pound six-footer who probably would win out as the most handsome member of the Coun¬ cil of State, if a contest were held, despite a crooked nose resulting from a football game he played with Caro¬ lina freshmen in 1917. He takes pride in setting the straw hat season for State officials, perennially being the first to don his skimmer. His chief avocations are talking politics, which he does for the love of it. and tending his yard, which he docs front the necessity of it. The four acres around Hertford Hall — his country home two miles due cast of the Capi¬ tol. named for his county of residence, •Hertford, and his township of birth. Hall’s in Gates County — have a pernicious habit of requiring atten¬ tion; and his wife, he says, has 400 ( Continued on page 33) THE STATE. Jan'UAO* 3- >953 3