William Walton Kitchin
Encyclopedia
- For the rugby league footballer of the 1910s for England, and for Huddersfield, see William F. KitchinWilliam Kitchin (rugby league)William F. Kitchin was an English professional rugby league footballer of the 1910s who at representative level played for England, and at club level for Huddersfield.-International honours:...
William Walton Kitchin (October 9, 1866 November 9, 1924) was the 52nd Governor
Governor of North Carolina
The Governor of North Carolina is the chief executive of the State of North Carolina, one of the U.S. states. The current governor is Bev Perdue, North Carolina's first female governor.-Powers:...
of the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
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...
from 1909 to 1913.
Early Life and Family
W.W. Kitchin was the son of William H. KitchinWilliam H. Kitchin
William Hodges Kitchin was a one-term U.S. Congressional representative from North Carolina. He helped tighten the color line between blacks and whites in the state...
and Maria Figures Arrington. He was born in Scotland Neck, NC. He was the brother of Claude Kitchin
Claude Kitchin
Claude Kitchin was a U.S. Congressional Representative from North Carolina and floor leader of his party in the House during the 64th, 65th, and 67th Congresses....
and the uncle of Alvin Paul Kitchin
Alvin Paul Kitchin
Alvin Paul Kitchin was a U.S. Congressional representative from North Carolina.Kitchin was born in Scotland Neck, North Carolina on September 13, 1908, the grandson of William H. Kitchin and the nephew of two congressmen...
, each of whom served in the U.S. Congress. He graduated from Wake Forest College in 1884, studied law 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...
, and passed the North Carolina Bar examination in 1887. He practiced law in Roxboro, NC.
On 22 December 1892, W.W. Kitchin married Sue Musette Satterfield of Roxboro, NC. They had six children: Sue Arrington (22 October 1893 - 5 August 1954), William Walton (16 August 1895 - 30 September 1905), Anne Maria (23 October 1897 - 16 January 1995), Elizabeth Gertrude (19 December 1899 - 9 September 1979), Clement Satterfield (19 June 1902 - 21 December 1930), and Musette Satterfield (10 August 1906 - 17 October 1996). The children related stories of how kind he was to the hired help at the Governor's Mansion
North Carolina Executive Mansion
The North Carolina Executive Mansion is the official residence of the Governor of North Carolina and his or her family. Building began in the year 1883 and it was designed by noted architects Samuel Sloan and A.G. Bauer. The first occupants, Governor Daniel G. Fowle and his family, moved into the...
, going so far as to offer them time off one Christmas. This greatly disappointed the employees as they looked forward to the annual event. The children also enjoyed roller skating through the Governor's Mansion.
Political career
In 1892, he ran unsuccessfully for the North Carolina SenateNorth Carolina Senate
The North Carolina Senate is one of the two houses of the North Carolina General Assembly.Its prerogatives and powers are similar to those of the other house, the House of Representatives. Its members do, however, represent districts that are larger than those of their colleagues in the House. The...
but was later elected for six terms in the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
, from 1897 to 1909. With other members of his family, he was an active participant in leading to the approval of a state constitutional amendment in 1900 placing numerous disabilities on the right of black Tar Heels to vote. Limited to one term as governor by the state constitution of the time, Kitchin ran unsuccessfully for the United States Senate in 1912. His tenure as governor was highly productive: he increased expenditures for public education and public health services, oversaw expansion of railroads and increased stability of the state's banks.
After completing his term, Governor Kitchin practiced law in Raleigh, NC until 1919, when his declining health led him to retire to his home in Scotland Neck, NC. He died in 1924 and is buried in the Scotland Neck Baptist Cemetery.