Harold Woodrow Hardison (1923–2015) was an American politician from North Carolina. Hardison was a

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and

Shriner Shriners International, formally known as the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine (AAONMS), is an American Masonic society. Founded in 1872 in New York City, it is headquartered in Tampa, Florida, and has over 200 chapters ...

who served in the

United States Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

from 1942 to 1946 in the

Pacific War The Pacific War, sometimes called the Asia–Pacific War or the Pacific Theatre, was the Theater (warfare), theatre of World War II fought between the Empire of Japan and the Allies of World War II, Allies in East Asia, East and Southeast As ...

. He founded the Humphrey-Hardison Oil Company and was a member of several municipal organizations in his hometown of Deep Run, North Carolina. He was elected to one-two year term as a Democratic member of the

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 North Carolina House of Representatives, Speaker of the House, who holds powers si ...

in 1970, then won the first of eight consecutive terms in the

North Carolina Senate The North Carolina Senate is the Upper house, upper chamber of the North Carolina General Assembly, which along with the North Carolina House of Representatives—the lower chamber—comprises the state legislature of North Carolina. The Senate ...

during the 1972 election cycle. During his single term as a state representative, Hardison was engaged in discussions on redistricting. Hardison subsequently occupied the seat representing the fifth senatorial district from Lenoir County. Throughout his tenure on the state legislature, he became known for Hardison amendments, which forbade state agencies from enacting environmental regulations stricter than the federal standard. As a state senator, Hardison held chair positions on the Senate Appropriations Committee, the Senate Ways and Means Committee, and co-chaired the state's Select Committee on Education. In July 1981, Hardison co-sponsored a bill allowing the Office of State Budget and Management the power to oversee public school finances. In February 1983, Hardison stated that a drunk driving bill backed by Governor

Jim Hunt James Baxter Hunt Jr. (born May 16, 1937) is an American politician and retired attorney who was the List of governors of North Carolina, 69th and 71st governor of North Carolina (1977–1985, and 1993–2001). He is the longest-serving governo ...

would raise $2.5 million in revenue, and incur $1 million in costs. During the 1984 election cycle, Hardison ran unopposed. Hardison filed to contest the Democratic Party nomination for the 1988 North Carolina lieutenant gubernatorial election in January, and engaged in a debate on collection of monetary damages owed to accident victims in civil cases. Hardison died at the age of 92 on 9 September 2015.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hardison, Harold 1923 births 2015 deaths People from Lenoir County, North Carolina 20th-century members of the North Carolina General Assembly Democratic Party members of the North Carolina House of Representatives Democratic Party North Carolina state senators United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II Military personnel from North Carolina United States Army Air Forces soldiers American businesspeople in the oil industry 20th-century American businesspeople American company founders American energy industry executives Businesspeople from North Carolina