The political biography of Kerr Scott covers his career in North Carolina as commissioner of agriculture (1936–1948), governor (1949–1953) and US senator (1954–1958). A rural progressive/populist, Scott came to power in 1948 by defeating the powerful political machine that had controlled the state for years. As governor, despite a conservative legislature, he led the state from a poor, backwater southern state to an economically viable state by investing in roads, education, health care, new industry, and new port facilities. A charismatic and controversial governor, he was a moderate on race ... More

The political biography of Kerr Scott covers his career in North Carolina as commissioner of agriculture (1936–1948), governor (1949–1953) and US senator (1954–1958). A rural progressive/populist, Scott came to power in 1948 by defeating the powerful political machine that had controlled the state for years. As governor, despite a conservative legislature, he led the state from a poor, backwater southern state to an economically viable state by investing in roads, education, health care, new industry, and new port facilities. A charismatic and controversial governor, he was a moderate on race and the first environmental governor in the state, and he made great progress in women’s rights. His progressive reforms, which changed the course of North Carolina’s history, made him one of the most influential governors in the state’s history. In 1954 he was elected to the US Senate, where he served effectively until his death in 1958.