Gentleman Jim

Jim Holshouser grew up in the mountains of North Carolina, came home to Boone to practice law with his father and got interested in politics. He served 10 years in the North Carolina House, was House Minority Chair and my father’s seatmate.

That 1972 election, when he beat Skipper Bowles for Governor, was considered an upset by many. Holshouser told me he mortgaged a motel he owned to raise the funds for his campaign, and they weren’t nearly as much as what Bowles raised. What would have happened if he had lost, I asked? In typical Jim Holshouser fashion he admitted he would likely have gone bankrupt, adding he tried not to think about it during the campaign.

In 1972, Democrats outnumbered Republicans by about three to one. Some attributed Holshouser’s victory to Richard Nixon’s landslide, others link it to the Democrats nomination of George McGovern as their candidate, still others link all the above with Jesse Helms’ first Senate win. But many a Democrat later admitted that when they met Jim Holshouser, he looked them in the eye and spoke plainly and earnestly to them. Even today some will say they didn’t think he was going to win but they liked him and voted for him. Bowles took the early lead in election returns but by 11 pm the race was getting tighter and Holshouser pulled off the upset, winning by fewer than 50,000 votes. He was the youngest governor elected in almost a century.

A moderate, consensus building Republican, Holshouser had two disadvantages as governor. The first was a short bench. Because there were so few Republicans, especially Republicans with any experience in state government, he didn’t have a large pool of experienced Republican appointees. The second was a legislature solidly controlled by Democrats; none too happy that a Republican had won for the first time in the 20^th century, even though he came from the House.

He was charged with helping to bring about the consolidation of the UNC System which Bob Scott had orchestrated. Former UNC President Bill Friday often said he was able to work well with Holshouser in the new model, especially the creation of the Board of Governors. He advocated strongly for community colleges also, but his crowning efforts in education was with the statewide expansion of the kindergarten program. After leaving office he served with distinction many years on the Board of Governors.

He and his successor, Jim Hunt, developed a close friendship and worked together on many statewide projects. He moved to Pinehurst and practiced law, joining with former Governor Terry Sanford in a law firm. He, his wife Pat, and George and Teena Little were longtime friends. Pat died of cancer in 2006 and it took a toll on Holshouser, who had struggled with kidney disease for many years.

A gentle man, an honorable man, one who loved North Carolina, with a strong desire to make things better for our state, Jim Holshouser was short in stature but a giant in integrity, good humor, humility and common sense. Jim Holshouser was a fine person.