|
North Carolina's Governors
William Richardson Davie (1756-1820), who had a distinguished record in the Revolution, guided the creation of the University of North Carolina and is known as the "Father of the University." Born in County Cumberland, England, he moved with his family in 1764 to the Waxhaw region of South Carolina. Graduating from what is now Princeton University in 1776, Davie returned home to fight for the Patriot cause. Seriously wounded in 1779, he retired for a time from military activity to read law. Returning to battle with the approach of Cornwallis' army, Davie served under Nathanael Greene during the last stages of the Revolution. After the war, Davie moved to Halifax to practice law and soon after entered politics and assumed a leadership position in the Federalist Party. During the next two years he worked for approval of the federal Constitution in North Carolina, and served as a delegate to the state constitutional conventions of 1788 and 1789. Indeed, it was his motion during the latter meeting that resulted in ratification. Three weeks later, Davie introduced and secured passage of a bill to establish the University of North Carolina. Thereafter, he further fostered the institution by marshalling financial support, launching initial construction, and recruiting faculty. On December 4, 1798, Davie was elected governor by the General Assembly. During his single term, Davie focused on the fixing boundaries, monitoring investigations into Tennessee land frauds, and on increasing the state's overall military preparedness. Davie left the governorship to accept President John Adams's appointment as one of three peace envoys to France. When Davie returned to North Carolina, the political landscape had changed. Thomas Jefferson was president, and the Republican Party was in the ascendant. In 1803, in the last of his many campaigns, he was unsuccessful in his bid for a seat in Congress. Disillusioned, he withdrew to "Tivoli," his South Carolina plantation. There died on November 5, 1820, and was buried in the Waxhaw Presbyterian Church cemetery.
|
