W. Kerr Scott

William Kerr Scott
Scott in 1951
United States Senator
from North Carolina
In office
November 29, 1954 – April 16, 1958
Preceded byAlton Lennon
Succeeded byB. Everett Jordan
62nd Governor of North Carolina
In office
January 6, 1949 – January 8, 1953
LieutenantHoyt Patrick Taylor
Preceded byR. Gregg Cherry
Succeeded byWilliam B. Umstead
North Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture
In office
1937–1948
GovernorClyde R. Hoey
J. Melville Broughton
R. Gregg Cherry
Preceded byWilliam A. Graham Jr.
Succeeded byDavid S. Coltrane
Personal details
Born(1896-04-17)April 17, 1896
Haw River, North Carolina, U.S.
DiedApril 16, 1958(1958-04-16) (aged 61)
Burlington, North Carolina, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseMary Elizabeth White
Alma materNorth Carolina State University (BS)
ProfessionAgriculture
Scott (left) in 1951, with Harry S. Truman and Gordon Gray.
Portrait as governor

William Kerr Scott (April 17, 1896 – April 16, 1958) was an American politician from North Carolina. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the 62nd governor of North Carolina from 1949 until 1953, and a United States Senator from 1954 until 1958.

A native of Alamance County, North Carolina, and a farmer by training, Scott was a lifelong advocate for agricultural issues and became known in his home state as "the Squire of Haw River." He was elected as the state's Commissioner of Agriculture, but resigned that post to run for governor in 1948. His followers, popularly known as "Branchhead Boys," fervently supported Scott in all his campaigns and remained a force in North Carolina politics for more than a decade following his death.


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