Joseph Emile Harley (September 14, 1880February 27, 1942) was the 100th governor of South Carolina from 1941 to 1942 and a member of the " Barnwell Ring."

Early life and education

Harley was born September 14, 1880, in

Williston, South Carolina Williston is a town in Barnwell County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 3,139 at the 2010 census. The town lies in the center of the Charleston-Hamburg railroad line, the line of the Best Friend locomotive. The train tracks w ...

. Harley received an

LLB A Bachelor of Laws (; LLB) is an undergraduate law degree offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree and serves as the first professional qualification for legal practitioners. This degree requires the study of core legal subje ...

from the

University of South Carolina The University of South Carolina (USC, SC, or Carolina) is a Public university, public research university in Columbia, South Carolina, United States. Founded in 1801 as South Carolina College, It is the flagship of the University of South Car ...

in 1902. He married Sarah Agnes Richardson and had three children with her.

Occupations

Harley served as a

colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

in the

South Carolina National Guard The South Carolina National Guard (SCNG) consists of the South Carolina Army National Guard and the South Carolina Air National Guard. History The South Carolina National Guard, or Carolina militia as it was originally known, was born from the ...

and as

sergeant Sergeant (Sgt) is a Military rank, rank in use by the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and in other units that draw their heritage f ...

of Company L, 1st SC Volunteers in the

Spanish–American War The Spanish–American War (April 21 – August 13, 1898) was fought between Restoration (Spain), Spain and the United States in 1898. It began with the sinking of the USS Maine (1889), USS ''Maine'' in Havana Harbor in Cuba, and resulted in the ...

. He also worked as a lawyer, where he fought on behalf of three major railway companies including: the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, Southern Railway, as well as the Seaboard Airline Railroad. As a member of the democratic party, Harley was a delegate at the 1908, 1924, 1928, and 1932 party conventions. Harley also served as the mayor of

Barnwell, South Carolina Barnwell is a city in and county seat of Barnwell County, South Carolina, United States, located along U.S. Route 278. The population was 4,750 at the 2010 census. Geography Barnwell is located east of the center of Barnwell County at (33.24 ...

for ten years from 1912-1922.

Governor

After being elected

Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina The lieutenant governor of South Carolina is the second-in-command to the governor of South Carolina. Beyond the responsibility to act or serve as governor in the event of the office's vacancy, the duties of the lieutenant governor are chiefly ce ...

in 1934 and re-elected in 1938, Harley became

Governor of South Carolina The governor of South Carolina is the head of government of South Carolina. The governor is the ''ex officio'' commander-in-chief of the National Guard when not called into federal service. The governor's responsibilities include making year ...

on November 4, 1941, upon the resignation of Governor

Burnet Maybank Burnet Rhett Maybank (March 7, 1899September 1, 1954) was a three-term US senator, the 99th governor of South Carolina, and mayor of Charleston, South Carolina. He was the first governor from Charleston since the American Civil War (1861-1865) ...

, who was elected to serve in the

US Senate The United States Senate is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and House have the authority under Article One of the ...

. On February 27, 1942, Governor Harley died in office after having served only four months. He died of terminal throat

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving Cell growth#Disorders, abnormal cell growth with the potential to Invasion (cancer), invade or Metastasis, spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Po ...

. Harley could only communicate by writing in the last months of his life. He is buried in Baptist Cemetery, Barnwell, South Carolina.

References

1880 births 1942 deaths University of South Carolina alumni American military personnel of the Spanish–American War Democratic Party governors of South Carolina University of South Carolina trustees Deaths from esophageal cancer in the United States People from Williston, South Carolina Deaths from cancer in South Carolina People from Barnwell, South Carolina 20th-century South Carolina politicians {{SouthCarolina-politician-stub