William Augustus Devin was an American jurist who served as an Associate Justice and Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court

North Carolina Supreme Court

The Supreme Court of North Carolina is the state's highest appellate court. Until the creation of the North Carolina Court of Appeals in the 1960s, it was the state's only appellate court. The Supreme Court consists of six associate justices and one chief justice, although the number of justices...

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A native of Granville County, North Carolina

Granville County, North Carolina

-Demographics:As of the census of 2010, there were 59,916 people in 20,628 households residing in the county. The population density was 111.6 people per square mile . There were 22,827 housing units at an average density of 42.5 per square mile...

, Devin, a Democrat

Democratic Party (United States)

The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

, earned his undergraduate degree at Wake Forest College and his law degree at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...

. Devin served as mayor of Oxford, North Carolina

Oxford, North Carolina

Oxford is a city in Granville County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 8,461 at the 2010 census It is the county seat of Granville County.-History:...

 from 1903 until 1909 and was a captain in the North Carolina National Guard

North Carolina National Guard

The North Carolina National Guard consists of the:*North Carolina Army National Guard*North Carolina Air National GuardThe NCNG is an all-volunteer force of nearly 12,000 soldiers and airmen who serve in both federal and state capacities...

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He was elected to one term (1911-1913) in the North Carolina House of Representatives

North Carolina House of Representatives

The North Carolina House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the North Carolina General Assembly. The House is a 120-member body led by a Speaker of the House, who holds powers similar to those of the President pro-tem in the state senate....

from Granville. He also served as a state Superior Court judge (1914-1935) before being appointed by the Governor to the state Supreme Court in 1935. He retired as Chief Justice in early 1954.