The North Carolina Secretary of State is an elected official in the U.S. state of North Carolina, heading the Department of the Secretary of State, which oversees many of the economic and business-related operations of the state government. Unlike in many states, the Secretary of State does not oversee state elections.
The position of Secretary of State is, behind only the position of Governor, the oldest government office in the state of North Carolina, dating back to 1665 as the record keeper for the Province of Carolina. The position of North Carolina Secretary of State has, since American independence in 1776, historically had a very low rate of turnover. Only 8 individuals held the office during the first hundred years of statehood; William Hill served as secretary for 46 years continuously, from 1811 until his death in 1857. Remarkably, in the 20th century, Thad A. Eure broke even this record, holding the post for 53 consecutive years, from 1936 to 1989.
From 1776 to 1868, the Secretary of State was elected by the state legislature. Under the North Carolina Constitutions of 1868 and 1971, the Secretary of State is elected every four years by a plurality of the popular vote.
Read more about North Carolina Secretary Of State: List of Secretaries of State
Famous quotes containing the words secretary of state, north, carolina, secretary and/or state:
“The truth is, the whole administration under Roosevelt was demoralized by the system of dealing directly with subordinates. It was obviated in the State Department and the War Department under [Secretary of State Elihu] Root and me [Taft was the Secretary of War], because we simply ignored the interference and went on as we chose.... The subordinates gained nothing by his assumption of authority, but it was not so in the other departments.”
—William Howard Taft (1857–1930)
“—Here, the flag snaps in the glare and silence
Of the unbroken ice. I stand here,
The dogs bark, my beard is black, and I stare
At the North Pole. . .
And now what? Why, go back.
Turn as I please, my step is to the south.”
—Randall Jarrell (1914–1965)
“I hear ... foreigners, who would boycott an employer if he hired a colored workman, complain of wrong and oppression, of low wages and long hours, clamoring for eight-hour systems ... ah, come with me, I feel like saying, I can show you workingmen’s wrong and workingmen’s toil which, could it speak, would send up a wail that might be heard from the Potomac to the Rio Grande; and should it unite and act, would shake this country from Carolina to California.”
—Anna Julia Cooper (1859–1964)
“... the wife of an executive would be a better wife had she been a secretary first. As a secretary, you learn to adjust to the boss’s moods. Many marriages would be happier if the wife would do that.”
—Anne Bogan, U.S. executive secretary. As quoted in Working, book 1, by Studs Terkel (1973)
“I met a traveler from Arkansas
Who boasted of his state as beautiful
For diamonds and apples.”
—Robert Frost (1874–1963)