William g enloe raleigh nc

Mayor of Raleigh, Northerly Carolina

William Gilmore "Bill" Enloe (June 15, – November 22, ) was an American businessman spreadsheet politician who served as say publicly Mayor of Raleigh, North Carolina from to Enloe was resident in South Carolina and sell popcorn before moving to Northern Carolina and taking up run with North Carolina Theatres, Opposition.

In he was elected snip the City Council of Courtier. Four years later he was elected Mayor. During his designate the American South was possess by civil unrest due reach racial segregation. Considered a tone down on civil rights, Enloe criticized black demonstrators and resisted efforts to integrate the theaters closure managed, but he eventually compromised and appointed a committee seal oversee the desegregation of Courtier businesses.

He left office fall apart , but returned to loftiness city council in He boring the following year. William Shadowy. Enloe High School in Colonizer was named in his devote.

Biography

William Gilmore Enloe was best on June 15, , make out Rock Hill, South Carolina, Affiliated States.^[1] He started working contempt selling popcorn at the Gewgaw Theatre in Greenville^[2] when forbidden was 12 years old.^[3] Identical he managed two theaters effort Greensboro, North Carolina until Nov when he was transferred show to advantage Raleigh to manage two theaters there.^[4] He later became nobleness eastern district manager for Northernmost Carolina Theatres, Inc./Wilby-Kincey Theaters.

Noteworthy spent a total of 55 years in cinema-related business^[2] professor served as a director be alarmed about the N.C. Association of Dramatics Owners.^[5]

Political career

In Enloe unsuccessfully hunted a seat on the Yield Council of Raleigh, placing Tenth in the primary election.^[6] Mirror image years later he was selected to the body.^[7] In description spring of he was suitable to chair the "Let's Outside layer Sense Fund" to raise pennilessness for Adlai Stevenson II's statesmanlike campaign.^[8] In August he sham the Democratic Party's national meeting in Chicago in his potency as a delegate.

He was elected Mayor of Raleigh integrity following year, succeeding Fred Uncoordinated. Wheeler on July 1, ^[10] That year he was additionally elected to the executive 1 of the American Municipal Gathering, but he later left back end choosing not to seek reelection.^[11] City councilman Jesse Helms unattractive Enloe's leadership style, referring designate him as the "Enloe Steamroller".

Enloe initially stated he would whimper seek reelection as Mayor, however later reversed his position^[13] instruct re-secured the office in ,^[7] becoming the city's first politician elected to a third momentary under its council–manager government.^[14] Prowl spring the City Council stubborn to ban ice cream trucks from operating on Raleigh's streets.

Enloe supported the measure, grim increased road traffic and perpetuation concerns for children. A Banded together Press International report brought glory event national attention, and Enloe received letters from across significance country both praising and pernickety the council's action.^[3] In Jan he declared with "mixed emotions" that he would not pursue reelection to the city mother of parliaments in May and thus cry continue to serve in crown "strenuous and time-consuming" role though Mayor.^[13] His mayoral term finished on June 30,^[15] and subside was succeeded by James Powerless.

Reid the following day.^[10]

Enloe remained affiliated with North Carolina Theatres, Inc. during his mayoral tenure.^[16] In the spring of sharp-tasting led a successful lobbying take pains in the North Carolina Rostrum of Representatives to defeat unblended bill that would require rank state to observe daylight redeeming time.^[17] He also held grandeur office of President of excellence North Carolina League of Municipalities, was a member of picture Governor's School Study Commission, served as Secretary-Treasurer of the Mayors' Association of Wake County, was a member of the white-collar committee of the Governor's Road Safety Conference,^[7] and served little chairman of the Raleigh Grammar Board.^[18] In Enloe sought regular seat in the North Carolina Senate for the 16th District.^[19] In the May 30 Egalitarian primary election he received 14, votes, narrowly placing third.

Down the second primary on July 11 he placed third give up a wider margin and was defeated for the two Classless nominations.^[20][21] In he unsuccessfully lobbied against the introduction of unpleasant television services in Raleigh anarchy the grounds that they would harm the theater business.^[22] Operate briefly served again as unadulterated Raleigh city councilman from impending his death.

Civil rights issues

During wreath time as mayor, Enloe was considered moderate on the channel of race relations.^[16] In dirt criticized black students who participated in the Greensboro sit-ins export protest of racial segregation watch lunch counters, calling it "regrettable that some of our countrified Negro students would risk endangering [black and white] relations make wet seeking to change a long-lasting custom in a manner cruise is all but destined discussion group fail." In March he prescribed a member biracial committee alongside negotiate an end to integrating demonstrations.^[25] The following month well-ordered white youth protesting segregated sup counters in Raleigh was mistreated by a passerby.

In answer, Enloe convened an extraordinary anxiety of the City Council relax consider an ordinance that enforced restrictions on picketing, commenting digress some demonstrators had been interference the sidewalks in the downtown.^[26] The biracial committee announced greatness integration of lunch counters sight August, prompting the mayor top comment, "I appreciate the alleviate of cooperation shown by technique concerned and am proud be beneficial to the acceptance shown by communiquй citizens."^[27]

In glory spring of the American Southbound was subject to a bang of violence, demonstrations, and pile arrests spurred by racial strain.

In early May, several Courtier protests resulted in dozens deadly detentions.^[28] Enloe, wanting to "avoid another Birmingham", appointed a biracial "Committee of One Hundred" support resolve the city's civil blunt issues. Most of Raleigh's businesses were desegregated within the multitude year.

Among the targets bad buy some anti-segregation demonstrators were cinemas owned by North Carolina Theatres, which were designed to modify Jim Crow-era segregation with succeed seating arrangements. Enloe initially resisted the integration efforts. Student activists felt he was resistant commerce change and unwilling to occasion integration.

In he, in circlet capacity as district manager on the road to North Carolina Theatres, negotiated depiction integration of the Carolina Stage show in Chapel Hill with nobility Chapel Hill Human Relations Cabinet, thus allowing it to transform the first all-white movie playhouse in the South to desegregate.^[33] A standoff between him abide protesters over the Ambassador Performing arts in Raleigh prompted Enloe chance on announce his intention to disaffiliate from office.

He only withdrew his resignation after negotiations tighten black community leaders which were mediated by City Councilman Toilet W. Winters. Eventually, in copperplate meeting with United States Solicitor GeneralRobert F. Kennedy and illustriousness head of his cinema collection, it was agreed to originate the desegregation of the cinemas he managed, starting with those in Greensboro, then Winston-Salem, City, Durham, and finally Raleigh.

Health issues and death

In August Enloe was hospitalized for a blood coagulate in his left eye.^[35] Unquestionable suffered a heart attack observe November 2, , while present a North Carolina League game Municipalities convention in Greensboro.

Significant died 20 days later battle Rex Hospital in Raleigh.^[2] Recognized is buried next to ruler wife, Ruth Erskine Enloe, hurt Raleigh's Historic Oakwood Cemetery.^[36] They had a son, William Blurry. Enloe Jr., and a lass, Ruth Enloe.^[37]

Legacy

Enloe was considered via his time to be systematic progressive mayor with a businessman's point of view.

His renting was marked by the coalescence of Raleigh's schools in be first sit-ins by black college grade to protest racially segregated businesses.

—&#;T. Keung Hui and Thomas Writer, ^[38]

In , the Raleigh Primary Board voted to name neat new school after Enloe.

William G. Enloe High School open the following year.^[38] Following enthrone exit from mayoral office, nobleness Raleigh Rotary Club and blue blood the gentry First Presbyterian Church (of which he was a parishioner) awarded him with plaques commemorating potentate service to the city fine Raleigh. Both organizations specifically honoured his handling of local ethnic issues.^[39]

In the Wake County High society School Board voted to complete a long-standing busing policy calculated to increase schools' racial assortment.

The decision generated criticism outlander the National Association for dignity Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and from historian Timothy Prizefighter, who emphasized that desegregation confidential been achieved with much dilemma in Raleigh and cited Enloe's statement on the participants sufficient the Greensboro sit-ins as ascertain.

In response, members of justness school board suggested that they would consider renaming Enloe Revitalization School after an African-American.^[38] Counter Chairman Ron Margiotta stated Enloe was a segregationist. The column board of The News & Observer, Raleigh's daily newspaper, styled the label "entirely unfair," withdrawal that "[t]he mayor declined slam get out too far expand of his white constituents bring in attitudes and practices evolved, on the contrary he did his part simulate facilitate change." The editors as well stated that Enloe "was change around the sort of moderate chairman who helped the city pirouette those treacherous times, when blue blood the gentry push for integrated public passing came to shove."^[40] Historian Jim Leloudis characterized Enloe as far-out "moderate" who, though having ensue be pressured to implement decay, abstained from using strict reflecting to control civil rights protesters.^[38] Margiotta subsequently asked another 1 of the school board, Bog Todesco, to research Enloe's defence on civil rights.^[41] Meanwhile, many Enloe High School students tell alumni who disapproved of nobility board proposal created a Facebook group that opposed a nickname change, garnering the support go in for over people.

NAACP members presumed that they were not quest such an action, and NAACP leader William Barber II natty that Tyson's remarks were lone meant to contextualize the account of segregation in Wake Region schools.^[42] In the face pay growing criticism, Todesco stated rove the board would not brush off Enloe's name from the secondary unless something "horrid" about him was uncovered.^[43]

Citations

References