North Carolina
Gov. Thomas Walter Bickett
- January 11, 1917 - January 12, 1921
- Democratic
- February 28, 1869
- December 22, 1921
- North Carolina
- Wake Forest College, University of North Carolina
- Married Fannie Yarborough; one child
About
THOMAS W. BICKETT, the fifty-fourth governor of North Carolina, was born in Monroe, North Carolina on February 28, 1869. His education was attained at Wake Forest College, where he graduated in 1890. He went on to study law at the University of North Carolina, and in 1893 was licensed to practice. Bickett first entered politics as a member of the North Carolina House of Representatives, a position he held from 1907 to 1908. He also served as the attorney general of North Carolina from 1909 to 1917. Bickett next secured the Democratic gubernatorial nomination, and was elected governor by a popular vote in the 1916 general election. During his tenure, a juvenile court system was initiated; educational improvements were sanctioned; the state’s road system was advanced; and penal reform measures were approved. After completing his term, Bickett retired from political life, and returned to his legal career. Governor Thomas W. Bickett passed away on December 22, 1921, and was buried somewhere in Louisburg, North Carolina.
Source
Sobel, Robert, and John Raimo, eds. Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States, 1789-1978, Vol. 3, Westport, Conn.; Meckler Books, 1978. 4 vols.
