Angus W. McLean
56th Governor of North Carolina
In office
January 14, 1925 – January 11, 1929
LieutenantJacob E. Long
Preceded byCameron A. Morrison
Succeeded byOliver Max Gardner
Personal details
Born(1870-04-20)April 20, 1870
Robeson County, North Carolina, U.S.
DiedJune 21, 1935(1935-06-21) (aged 65)
Washington D.C., U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseMargaret French McLean
Alma materUniversity of North Carolina
ProfessionBusinessman

Angus Wilton McLean (April 20, 1870 – June 21, 1935) was an American lawyer and banker who was the 56th governor of North Carolina, serving from 1925 to 1929. McLean also served as Assistant Secretary of the United States Department of the Treasury from 1920 to 1921.

Biography

He was born in Maxton, North Carolina and educated at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he earned a law degree in 1892. McLean first entered politics in 1892, serving as the chairman of the Robeson County Democratic Executive Committee. A supporter of Woodrow Wilson, he was a delegate to Democratic National Conventions and sat on the Democratic National Committee.[1] From 1918 to 1922 he served on the War Finance Corporation board, and from 1920 to 1921 he was the assistant secretary of the Treasury.[2]

McLean secured the Democratic gubernatorial nomination in 1924 by defeating Josiah W. Bailey.[3] During his tenure, an executive budget system was initiated; a department of conservation and development was established; and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park was formed.[1] Governor McLean also helped streamlined North Carolina's economy, which led to a $2.5 million state budget surplus that his successor Oliver Gardner claimed later helped the state survive the Great Depression.[4][2] After completing his term, McLean retired from political life.

He died on June 21, 1935, in Washington, D.C. Death was attributed to a blood clot in his right lung. He had been ill for several weeks.[5]

Legacy

His son, Hector (1920–2012), became a bank president and state senator.[6]

The McLean family of Robeson county, origins are well documented and integrated in the larger narrative of the region. Through marriage and direct relations Angus Wilton McLean is related to the following individuals:

References

  1. ^ a b "Angus Wilton Mclean". National Governors Association. Archived from the original on November 27, 2020. Retrieved February 11, 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Angus W McLean (1925–1929)". North Carolina History Project. Archived from the original on October 19, 2020.
  3. ^ Moore, John Robert (1964). "The Shaping of a Political Leader: Josiah W. Bailey and the Gubernatorial Campaign of 1924". The North Carolina Historical Review. 41 (2): 190–213. JSTOR 23517188 – via JSTOR.
  4. ^ "McLean, Angus Wilton". NCpedia. Archived from the original on January 26, 2021. Retrieved February 11, 2021.
  5. ^ "Angus Wilton McLean of Washington and Lumberton, NC". www.ncgenweb.us. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
  6. ^ News & Observer Archived December 10, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
Party political offices Preceded byCameron A. Morrison Democratic nominee for Governor of North Carolina 1924 Succeeded byOliver Max Gardner Political offices Preceded byCameron A. Morrison Governor of North Carolina 1925–1929 Succeeded byOliver Max Gardner


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