GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
1995 SESSION
RATIFIED BILL
RESOLUTION 26
Whereas, the State of North Carolina has benefitted greatly from the life and legacy of service that John Motley Morehead left to all the people of this State; and
Whereas, John Motley Morehead, the eldest son of John and Obedience Motley Morehead, was born on July 4, 1796, in Pittsylvania County, Virginia; and
Whereas, at the age of two, John Motley Morehead's family moved to Rockingham County, North Carolina; and
Whereas, after graduating from the University of North Carolina in 1817, John Motley Morehead began to study law, later practicing law in Rockingham and Guilford Counties; and
Whereas, John Motley Morehead married Ann Eliza Lindsay in 1821, and was the father of eight children: Letitia Harper Morehead, Mary Corinna Morehead, Ann Eliza Morehead, Mary Louise Morehead, Emma Victoria Morehead, John Lindsay Morehead, James Turner Morehead, and Eugene Lindsay Morehead; and
Whereas, John Motley Morehead settled his family in Guilford County and erected his "Blandwood" home in 1825, which is preserved as a National Historic Landmark; and
Whereas, John Motley Morehead was a true statesman, serving in the House of Commons in 1821, 1826, 1827, and 1858, in the Senate in 1860, in the Provisional Congress and the Peace Conference in 1861, and as a delegate to the State Constitutional Convention in 1835; and
Whereas, John Motley Morehead served as Governor of North Carolina from 1841 to 1845; and
Whereas, John Motley Morehead was an advocate of a system of free public schools and it was during his tenure as Governor that the State established its first public school system; and
Whereas, John Motley Morehead served as a Trustee of the University of North Carolina for 38 years; and
Whereas, John Motley Morehead's other noted accomplishments include:
- The founding of the Edgeworth Female Seminary, a privately owned school for women in Greensboro;
- The founding of the North Carolina Railroad of which he served as its first president;
- The establishment of the first cotton mill in Rockingham County;
- The founding of a deepwater port on the coast of North Carolina that was named Morehead City in his honor;
- The establishment of the Governor Morehead School in Raleigh;
- The introduction of bills to improve the living conditions of slaves and also of a bill granting emancipation to slaves under certain conditions prior to the Civil War; and
Whereas, John Motley Morehead died on August 27, 1866; and
Whereas, on the 200th Anniversary of John Motley Morehead's birth, it is fitting that the General Assembly honors his life and memory by recognizing the many benefits bestowed to North Carolina due to the great leadership and accomplishments of Governor John Motley Morehead;
Now, therefore, be it resolved by the Senate, the House of Representatives concurring:
Section 1. The General Assembly honors the life and memory of John Motley Morehead. The General Assembly urges the citizens of this State to participate in all activities marking the 200th Anniversary of John Motley Morehead's birth.
Sec. 2. A copy of this resolution shall be transmitted by the Secretary of State to the family of John Motley Morehead.
Sec. 3. This resolution is effective upon ratification.
In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 21st day of June, 1996.
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Dennis A. Wicker
President of the Senate
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Harold J. Brubaker
Speaker of the House of Representatives