William L. Saunders
11th Secretary of State of North Carolina
In office
1879–1891
GovernorThomas Jordan Jarvis
Alfred Moore Scales
Preceded byJoseph A. Engelhard
Succeeded byOctavius Coke
Personal details
Born(1835-07-30)July 30, 1835
Raleigh, North Carolina
DiedApril 2, 1891(1891-04-02) (aged 55)
Raleigh, North Carolina
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse
Florida Cotten
​
(m. 1864)​
Parent(s)Joseph Hubbard Saunders
Laura J. Baker Saunders
Alma materUniversity of North Carolina
ProfessionLawyer, Politician
Military service
Allegiance Confederate States of America
Branch/service Confederate States Army
Rank Colonel
Commands46th North Carolina Infantry
Battles/warsAmerican Civil War

William Laurence Saunders (1835–1891) was an American attorney, newspaper editor, historian, Ku Klux Klan chief organizer in North Carolina, and the North Carolina Secretary of State from 1879 until his death in 1891.

Biography

Saunders served as a colonel in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War; commanding the 46th North Carolina Infantry Regiment. He was wounded at the Battle of Fredericksburg and the Battle of the Wilderness. Saunders served as chief clerk of the North Carolina Senate for several years. In 1879, he was appointed Secretary of State by Gov. Thomas Jordan Jarvis to replace his brother-in-law, Joseph A. Engelhard, who had died in office. Saunders then won election to the office in 1880, 1884 and 1888.[1] During his tenure he oversaw the publication of a collection of the state's colonial records.[2]

He was a member and secretary-treasurer of the Board of Trustees of his alma mater, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.[3]

Carolina Hall at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill was formerly named Saunders Hall, to honor Saunders as a Confederate veteran, UNC-Chapel Hill Trustee, and leader of the North Carolina Ku Klux Klan[4] In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, there were calls from UNC students to remove his name from the building because of his leadership in the Klan.[5] In 2015, the building was renamed "Carolina Hall".[6][7]

He is buried in the graveyard at Calvary Episcopal Church, Tarboro, North Carolina.[8]

References

  1. ^ "Dictionary of North Carolina Biography". Archived from the original on 2018-12-15. Retrieved 2014-05-27.
  2. ^ Lawrence, Robert C. (1939). The State of Robeson. Lumberton. p. 224. OCLC 3570522.((cite book)): CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  3. ^ William Laurence Saunders Papers
  4. ^ A Guide to Researching Campus Monuments and Buildings: Carolina Hall (formerly Saunders Hall)
  5. ^ News & Observer Archived August 19, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ The Washington Post: UNC takes on its past, renaming hall that has long honored a KKK leader
  7. ^ Wright, Emma (13 August 2015). "Carolina Hall replaces the name of UNC's Saunders Hall". Archived from the original on 11 June 2016. Retrieved 21 August 2015.
  8. ^ John B. Wells and Sherry I Penney (October 1970). "Calvary Episcopal Church and Churchyard" (PDF). National Register of Historic Places - Nomination and Inventory. North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office. Retrieved 2014-11-01.
Political offices Preceded byJoseph A. Engelhard Secretary of State of North Carolina 1879–1891 Succeeded byOctavius Coke
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