Thomas Jordan Jarvis (January 18, 1836June 17, 1915) was the 44th governor of the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

from 1879 to 1885. Jarvis served as a

U.S. Senator 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 ...

from 1894 to 1895. A

white supremacist White supremacy is the belief that white people are superior to those of other races. The belief favors the maintenance and defense of any power and privilege held by white people. White supremacy has roots in the now-discredited doctrine ...

, he spoke and wrote widely in support of the white supremacy campaign of 1898. In 1907, he helped establish East Carolina Teachers Training School, now known as

East Carolina University East Carolina University (ECU) is a public university in Greenville, North Carolina, United States. It is the List of universities in North Carolina by enrollment, fourth largest university in North Carolina and the only one in the state with s ...

Biography

Early years

Born in

Jarvisburg, North Carolina Jarvisburg is an unincorporated community in rural Currituck County, North Carolina. A post office was established around 1890. There is a post office, elementary school, cafe, Jarvisburg Church of Christ, and Sanctuary Vineyard winery. A two ro ...

, in

Currituck County Currituck County ()
, from the North Carolina Collection's website at the University of North Ca ...

, he was the son of Elizabeth Daley and Bannister Hardy Jarvis, a Methodist minister and farmer Retrieved on April 28, 2022. and brother of George, Ann, Margaret, and Elizabeth. His family was of English descent; ancestors included

Thomas Jarvis Thomas Jarvis (1623–1694) was the Deputy Governor of the Carolina Province from 1691 to 1694. Biography Thomas Jarvis started his political career in 1672 as a member of the executive council under Governor Peter Carteret and continued t ...

, lieutenant governor of Albemarle during the government of

Philip Ludwell Philip Cottington Ludwell ( 1638 – 1723) was an English-born planter and politician in colonial Virginia who sat on the Virginia Governor's Council, the first of three generations of men with the same name to do so, and briefly served as s ...

between 1691 and 1697; and Samuel Jarvis, who led the militia of Albemarle during his fight in the Revolutionary War. Jarvis's father owned a 300-acre farm, where the family "had the necessities of life but few of the luxuries". Jarvis was educated in local schools and at 19 went on to attend Randolph-Macon College, earning an M.A. in 1861. He had to exercise as teacher during the summer to pay for college tuition. An educator by training, Jarvis opened a school in Pasquotank County.

Career

Jarvis enlisted in the military at the beginning of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

and served in the Eighth North Carolina Regiment. On April 22, 1863, he was named Captain. Captured and exchanged in 1862, Jarvis was injured and permanently disabled at the

Battle of Drewry's Bluff The Battle of Drewry's Bluff, also known as the Battle of Fort Darling, or Fort Drewry, took place on May 15, 1862, in Chesterfield County, Virginia, as part of the Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War. Four Union Navy warships, includ ...

in 1864. After the war ended, he was on sick leave in Norfolk and in May 1865, he got probation, returning to Jarvisburg. In 1865, Jarvis returned home and opened a general store with entrepreneur William H. Happer; he was later named a delegate to the state's constitutional convention that year. In 1867, Jarvis bought out Happer, but after getting a license to practice law in June of that year, he abandoned the store and moved to Columbia. Active in the Democratic Party, Jarvis was elected to the

State House State House or statehouse may refer to: Buildings *Aso Villa or State House, the official residence of the President of Nigeria *Government House, Dominica or The State House, the official residence of the President of Dominica * State House, Bar ...

in 1868 and served there for four years, two of them (1870–1872) as

Speaker of the House The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, is its presiding officer, or the chair. The title was first used in 1377 in England. Usage The title was first recorded in 1377 to describe the role of Thomas de Hung ...

. In 1872, he was a Democratic elector-at-large on the

Horace Greeley Horace Greeley (February 3, 1811 – November 29, 1872) was an American newspaper editor and publisher who was the founder and newspaper editor, editor of the ''New-York Tribune''. Long active in politics, he served briefly as a congres ...

ticket. Jarvis also married Mary Woodson in December 1874. An opponent of federal

Reconstruction Reconstruction may refer to: Politics, history, and sociology *Reconstruction (law), the transfer of a company's (or several companies') business to a new company *''Perestroika'' (Russian for "reconstruction"), a late 20th century Soviet Union ...

policy, Jarvis was elected the third

lieutenant governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...

in 1876 on a ticket with

Zebulon Vance Zebulon Baird Vance (May 13, 1830 – April 14, 1894) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 37th and 43rd governor of North Carolina, a U.S. Senator from North Carolina, and a Confederate officer during the American Civil ...

. In 1879, Vance resigned the governorship to serve in the

United States Senate The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...

, and Jarvis filled the vacant position. As governor, he fought against government corruption and attempted to cut taxes, the state's debt, and government control. He also completed the sale of various state railways to private companies. He established mental health services in Morganton and Goldsboro, managed the establishment of normal schools for teachers in North Carolina and helped develop the State Board of Health. He won election in his own right in 1880, defeating

Daniel G. Fowle Daniel Gould Fowle (March 3, 1831April 7, 1891) was the 46th governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina from 1889 until his death in 1891. He had served as a state superior court judge from 1865 to 1867. Fowle was the first governor to live ...

for the Democratic nomination and narrowly winning over Republican challenger Ralph Buxton. In office, Jarvis convinced the legislature to authorize construction of the

North Carolina Executive Mansion The North Carolina Executive Mansion (also referred to as the North Carolina Governor's Mansion) is the official residence of the governor of North Carolina and their family. The First Lady of North Carolina is the mansion's official hostess. B ...

, although it was not completed until 1891. He "supported establishing a system of county superintendents of education elected by boards of education, grades of teacher certification, standards of examinations for public school teachers, and lists of recommended textbooks. Also, Funds for the mental institutions continued to increase, and the laws of North Carolina were for the first time codified and state insurance laws fully defined. Also, was built a governor's mansion". Term limited, Jarvis stepped down as governor in 1885, but was appointed United States Minister to

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

by President

Grover Cleveland Stephen Grover Cleveland (March 18, 1837June 24, 1908) was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States, serving from 1885 to 1889 and from 1893 to 1897. He was the first U.S. president to serve nonconsecutive terms and the first Hist ...

. Jarvis held this post for four years, after which he practiced law in

Greenville, North Carolina Greenville ( ; ) is the county seat of and the most populous city in Pitt County, North Carolina, United States. It is the principal city of the Greenville, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area, and the List of municipalities in North Carolina, 12t ...

. After Senator Vance died in 1894, Jarvis again succeeded him in office, serving as a U.S. Senator through an appointment by Gov.

Elias Carr Elias Carr (February 25, 1839 – July 22, 1900) was an American planter, lawyer, and politician who served as the 48th governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina from 1893 to 1897. Biography Carr was born in Edgecombe County, North Carolina ...

. In 1895, the state legislature, now under the control of Republicans and Populists, did not elect Jarvis to a term of his own. In 1896, Jarvis was a delegate to the

Democratic National Convention The Democratic National Convention (DNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1832 by the United States Democratic Party. They have been administered by the Democratic National Committee since the 18 ...

, where he supported

William Jennings Bryan William Jennings Bryan (March 19, 1860 – July 26, 1925) was an American lawyer, orator, and politician. He was a dominant force in the History of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, running three times as the party' ...

in his last major political act. In 1898, Jarvis participated in the state's white supremacy campaign, speaking widely on behalf of the movement and writing a widely syndicated newspaper essay criticizing the Fusion movement and denouncing Greenville’s African-American-dominated town council. While not directly involved, Jarvis's political rhetoric may have contributed to the

Wilmington insurrection of 1898 Wilmington may refer to: Places Australia *Wilmington, South Australia, a town and locality **District Council of Wilmington, a former local government area **Wilmington railway line, a former railway line United Kingdom *Wilmington, Devon *Wi ...

, a violent ''coup d'état'' by white supremacists. They expelled opposition black and white political leaders from the city, destroyed the property and businesses of black citizens built up since the Civil War, including the only black newspaper in the city, and killed an estimated 60 to more than 300 people. Jarvis was instrumental in the 1907 founding of what is now

in Greenville, where the oldest residential hall on campus is named in his memory. He reopened his law firm and in 1912, he founded a partnership with Frank Wooten. In November 1914, Jarvis presided over the unveiling of the Pitt County Confederate Soldiers' Monument. He died at his home in Greenville on June 17, 1915.

Legacy

* In addition to the ECU residence hall, a local United Methodist church and a street in Greenville are named in his memory. * At one time, several personal artifacts were on display at the church.

Personal life

Jarvis married Mary Woodson in December 1874.

Notes

External links

*
East Carolina University Icons Gallery profile

Thomas J. Jarvis Papers (#616), East Carolina Manuscript Collection, J. Y. Joyner Library, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jarvis, Thomas J. 1836 births 1915 deaths Democratic Party governors of North Carolina 19th-century American diplomats Lieutenant governors of North Carolina Democratic Party United States senators from North Carolina Speakers of the North Carolina House of Representatives Democratic Party members of the North Carolina House of Representatives People from Currituck County, North Carolina American people of English descent People of North Carolina in the American Civil War East Carolina University Ambassadors of the United States to Brazil 19th-century United States senators 19th-century members of the North Carolina General Assembly

Thomas J Clarence Thomas (born June 23, 1948) is an American lawyer and jurist who has served since 1991 as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. President George H. W. Bush Clarence Thomas Supreme Court nomination, nominate ...

Wilmington massacre conspirators