North Carolina State Treasurer
Encyclopedia
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
state of North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
responsible for overseeing the financial operations of state government. The current state treasurer is Janet Cowell
Janet Cowell
Janet Cowell was elected North Carolina State Treasurer in 2008. She is North Carolina's first woman State Treasurer. She was previously a Democratic member of the North Carolina Senate ....
.
The office of state treasurer has existed since 1715; at that time, the treasurer was appointed by the lower house of the legislature. In 1740, the treasurer's office was divided into two districts, and in 1779, into four. In 1784, the North Carolina General Assembly
North Carolina General Assembly
The North Carolina General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of North Carolina. The General Assembly drafts and legislates the state laws of North Carolina, also known as the General Statutes...
brought the treasurers under one single office, appointed jointly by both houses of the legislature.
Under the North Carolina Constitution
North Carolina Constitution
The Constitution of the State of North Carolina governs the structure and function of the state government of North Carolina, United States; it is the highest legal document for the state and subjugates North Carolina law...
of 1868, the treasurer became a position elected by popular vote, rather than appointed.
The North Carolina State Treasurer is an ex officio member of the North Carolina State Board of Education
North Carolina State Board of Education
The North Carolina State Board of Education, established by Article 9 of the North Carolina Constitution, supervises and administers the public school systems of North Carolina...
, the State Board of Community Colleges
North Carolina Community College System
The North Carolina Community College System is a statewide network of fifty-eight public community colleges. Each college has a distinct governance system and policies. In total, the system enrolls over 800,000 students, and is the third largest community college system in the nation...
, the State Banking Commission, and the Council of State
North Carolina Council of State
The Council of State is a group of popularly elected executive offices in North Carolina, USA. It is separate from the North Carolina Cabinet, which is appointed by the Governor of North Carolina, and makes up the rest of the executive leadership of the government...
.
Colonial Treasurers
- Edward MoseleyEdward MoseleyEdward Moseley , was the Surveyor General of North Carolina from about 1710 and the first colonial Treasurer of North Carolina starting in 1715. He was responsible for surveying the boundary between North Carolina and Virginia in 1728...
, 1715–1735 - William Smith, 1735
Northern District
- William Downing, 1735–1739
- William Smith, 1739–1740
- John HodgsonJohn HodgsonJohn Hodgson was an Australian politician and Mayor of Melbourne 1853–54. He died at his house in Kew of bronchitis.-Arrival in Melbourne:...
, 1740–1748 - Thomas Barker, 1748–1752
- John Haywood, 1752–1754
- Thomas Barker, 1754–1764
- Joseph Montfort, 1764–1775
- Samuel JohnstonSamuel JohnstonSamuel Johnston was an American planter, lawyer, and statesman from Chowan County, North Carolina. He represented North Carolina in both the Continental Congress and the United States Senate, and was the sixth Governor of North Carolina.-Early Life and Revolutionary Politics:Johnston was born in...
, 1775
Southern District
- Edward MoseleyEdward MoseleyEdward Moseley , was the Surveyor General of North Carolina from about 1710 and the first colonial Treasurer of North Carolina starting in 1715. He was responsible for surveying the boundary between North Carolina and Virginia in 1728...
, 1735–1749 - Eleazer Allen, 1749–1750
- John Starkey, 1750–1765
- Samuel Swann, 1765–1766
- John AsheJohn AsheJohn Ashe may refer to:*John Ashe *John Ashe , American Revolutionary War figure*John Baptista Ashe , North Carolina delegate to the Continental Congress...
, 1766–1773 - Richard CaswellRichard CaswellRichard Caswell was the first and fifth governor of the U.S. State of North Carolina, serving from 1776 to 1780 and from 1784 to 1787....
, 1773–1775
Districted
From 1777 to 1779, the State was divided into two districts, Northern and Southern, each with a treasurer. From 1779 to 1782, there were six districts, each with a treasurer, as follows: Edenton, Salisbury, Hillsboro, Halifax, New Bern, Wilmington. In 1782, a seventh district-Morgan-was created. In 1784, the district system was abandoned.http://docsouth.unc.edu/nc/manual/manual.html- John Ashe, 1777-1781 (Southern District, later Wilmington District)
- William Skinner, 1777-1784 (Northern District, later Edenton district)
- Green Hill, 1779-1784 (Halifax District)
- Richard Cogdell, 1779-1784 (New Bern District)
- William Cathey, 1779-1781 (Salisbury DistrictSalisbury District, North CarolinaThe Salisbury District of North Carolina, was originally one of several colonial judicial districts established in 1766. Immediately preceding the onset of the American War of Independence, these six regions, in 1775, were broadened into "de facto" militia districts.The Salisbury District was based...
) - Matthew Jones, 1779-1782 (Hillsboro District)
- Timothy BloodworthTimothy BloodworthTimothy Bloodworth was an American teacher and statesman from North Carolina.He was born in North Carolina in 1736 and spent most of his life before the American Revolutionary War as a teacher. In 1776, he began making arms including muskets and bayonets for the Continental Army. In 1778 and...
, 1781-1784 (Wilmington District) - Robert Lanier, 1782-1784 (Salisbury District)
- Memucan HuntMemucan HuntMemucan Hunt was an early American statesman and the first person to hold the position of North Carolina State Treasurer in its current form.A native of Virginia, Memucan Hunt settled in Granville County on a plantation...
, 1782-1784 (Hillsboro District) - John BrownJohn Brown (North Carolina)John Brown was a teacher, farmer, and statesman from Wilkes County, North Carolina. He was a Captain of militia during the Revolutionary War, served as one of the state Treasurers , and served in the North Carolina state legislature .-Background and family :John Brown was born in County...
, 1782-1784 (Morgan District) - Benjamin Exum, 1782-1784 (New Bern District)
Whole State
- Memucan HuntMemucan HuntMemucan Hunt was an early American statesman and the first person to hold the position of North Carolina State Treasurer in its current form.A native of Virginia, Memucan Hunt settled in Granville County on a plantation...
, 1784–1787 - John HaywoodJohn HaywoodJohn Haywood was an American politician, who was the longest-serving North Carolina State Treasurer .-Career:Haywood began public service in 1781 as clerk of the State Senate, and held this office for five years, after which...
, 1787–1827 - William S. RobardsWilliam S. RobardsWilliam S. Robards served as North Carolina State Treasurer from 1827 to 1830.Robards was a member of the North Carolina General Assembly in 1806 and 1808, representing Granville County, where he also served as County Attorney...
, 1827–1830 - William S. Mhoon, 1831–1835
- Samuel F. PattersonSamuel F. PattersonSamuel Finley Patterson was a North Carolina politician, planter, and businessman.Born in Rockbridge County, Virginia, Patterson went to live with his uncle in Wilkesboro, N.C., in 1811. He married Phoebe Caroline Jones, a granddaughter of William Lenoir, in 1824...
, 1835–1837 - Daniel W. Courts, 1837–1839
- Charles L. Hinton, 1839–1843
- John H. WheelerJohn H. WheelerJohn Hill Wheeler was a politician and historian who served as North Carolina State Treasurer and as United States Minister to Nicaragua ....
, 1843–1845 - Charles L. Hinton, 1845–1851
- Daniel W. Courts, 1851–1863
- Jonathan WorthJonathan WorthJonathan Worth was the 39th Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina from 1865 to 1868, during the early years of Reconstruction.-Early life:...
, 1863–1865 - William Sloan, 1865–1866
- Kemp P. BattleKemp P. BattleKemp Plummer Battle served as North Carolina State Treasurer and as president of the University of North Carolina in the nineteenth century.Battle graduated from the University in 1849 as the valedictorian of his class...
, 1866–1868 - David A. JenkinsDavid A. JenkinsDavid A. Jenkins was a Republican politician and North Carolina State Treasurer from 1868 until 1876.He was the first official elected to the post after it became a position elected by popular vote under the North Carolina Constitution of 1868. He resigned before the end of his term, on which...
, 1868–1876 - John M. WorthJohn M. WorthJohn Milton Worth served as North Carolina State Treasurer from 1876 to 1885. He was the younger brother of Jonathan Worth, who served as the state's Treasurer and Governor during the 1860s....
, 1876–1885 - Donald W. Bain, 1885–1892
- Samuel McDowell Tate, 1892–1895
- William H. Worth, 1895–1901
- Benjamin R. LacyBenjamin R. LacyBenjamin Rice Lacy served as North Carolina Commissioner of Labor from 1893–1897 and 1899–1901, and as North Carolina State Treasurer from 1901–1929. Lacy died one month after taking office for his eighth term as Treasurer....
, 1901–1929 - Nathan O'Berry, 1929–1932
- John P. Stedman, 1932
- Charles M. Johnson, 1933–1949
- Brandon P. Hodges, 1949–1953
- Edwin M. Gill, 1953–1977
- Harlan E. BoylesHarlan E. BoylesHarlan E. Boyles was a politician and public servant in North Carolina, who served as North Carolina State Treasurer from January 1977 to January 2001....
, 1977–2001 - Richard H. MooreRichard H. MooreRichard Hancock Moore was the North Carolina State Treasurer from 2001–2009. He first elected to that post in 2000 and re-elected in 2004.-Career:...
, 2001–2009 - Janet CowellJanet CowellJanet Cowell was elected North Carolina State Treasurer in 2008. She is North Carolina's first woman State Treasurer. She was previously a Democratic member of the North Carolina Senate ....
, 2009–present