Oral History Interview with Thomas Jackson White Jr., March 14, 1986. Interview C-0029-2. Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007).
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Abstract
At the time of this interview, in 1986, Thomas Jackson White Jr. could look back on decades as a civil and criminal lawyer in eastern North Carolina, terms in both houses of the North Carolina General Assembly in the 1950s and 1960s, a stint as a lobbyist, positions on the governing bodies of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a long career of influence in state politics. In this interview, White describes some of his experiences as a leader in North Carolina. He speaks at length in the first half of the interview about his eighteen-year chairmanship of the State Art Museum Building Commission, time he says he spent navigating resistance from Raleigh residents, bureaucratic mazes, the press, and party politics. In the second half, White focuses on his career as a lobbyist for the tobacco industry, offering a behind-the-scenes look at how the legislature works. This interview offers not just a portrait of an influential North Carolinian, but also insight into the intricacies of state government. White died in 1991.
Excerpts
Winning convictions in a brutal rape case
Legal and bureaucratic obstacles to the construction of Raleigh's art museum
Racing to secure an appropriation for art museum in changing political climate
Maintaining devotion to art museum project despite significant setbacks
The press and some community members resent Building Commission's privacy
Lobbying for the tobacco industry
ERA supporters "acted like dogs"
Lobbyists' role in Raleigh
Lobbyists help legislators understand their jobs
Influences on the path of legislation in North Carolina
Hard work and integrity drive White's career
A politician navigates a relationship with the media
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