A JOINT RESOLUTION honoring the public service of hoyt patrick taylor, sr. and hoyt patrick taylor, jr.
Whereas, many of North Carolina's citizens have served as able and dedicated public servants, including Hoyt Patrick Taylor, Sr. and Hoyt Patrick Taylor, Jr. who are the only father and son to be elected Lieutenant Governor of the State; and
Whereas, Hoyt Patrick Taylor, Sr. was born on June 11, 1890, in Winton, North Carolina, to Simeon P. Taylor and Kate Ward Taylor; and
Whereas, Hoyt Patrick Taylor, Sr. attended Winton High School and Academy and Horner Military Academy and graduated from Wake Forest College; and
Whereas, Hoyt Patrick Taylor, Sr. became a lawyer and went on to serve as Vice‑President and Director of Anson Sanatorium and Carolina Concrete Pipe Company and as Director of the Anson Telephone and Telegraph Company, Anson Building and Loan Association, Anson Real Estate and Insurance Company, Hornwood Warp Knitting Company, and the Wadesboro Electric Service Company; and
Whereas, Hoyt Patrick Taylor, Sr. made numerous contributions to his community and his State, including service as Mayor of Wadesboro, Chair of the Board of Trustees of Meredith College, and as a member of the Board of Trustees of The University of North Carolina; and
Whereas, Hoyt Patrick Taylor, Sr. was elected to the General Assembly in 1936 and served in the North Carolina Senate for terms in 1937, 1939, and 1943; and
Whereas, as a distinguished member of the North Carolina Senate, Hoyt Patrick Taylor, Sr. was appointed Chair of the Committees on Finance and Appropriations and was a member of several other committees including, Banks and Currency, Constitutional Amendments, Judiciary, Mental Institutions, Railroads, Unemployment Compensation, Courts and Judicial Districts, Election Laws, Insurance, and Military Affairs; and
Whereas, Hoyt Patrick Taylor, Sr. served as the Legislative Assistant to Governor Robert Cherry from 1945 to 1946 and served as Lieutenant Governor from 1949 to 1953; and
Whereas, Hoyt Patrick Taylor, Sr. also served as a member of the State Board of Education from 1949 to 1953, during which time he served as Chair; and
Whereas, Hoyt Patrick Taylor, Sr. served as a delegate to the 1952 Democratic National Convention; and
Whereas, Hoyt Patrick Taylor, Sr. was active in many charitable and fraternal organizations, including the Anson County Post No. 31 of the American Legion, Wadesboro Rotary and Executives Clubs, Woodmen of the World, Carolina Consistory, Oasis Temple of the Shrine, and the Masons; and
Whereas, Hoyt Patrick Taylor, Sr., served his country as a member of the 371st Infantry during World War I and was awarded the Silver Star and Purple Heart; and
Whereas, Hoyt Patrick Taylor, Sr. was a member of the First Baptist Church in Wadesboro; and
Whereas, Hoyt Patrick Taylor, Sr. married Inez Wooten Taylor on June 28, 1923, and to their union had three children, Hoyt Patrick Taylor, Jr., Caroline Corbett Taylor, and Frank Wooten Taylor; and
Whereas Hoyt Patrick Taylor, Sr. died on April 12, 1964, at the age of 74; and
Whereas, Hoyt Patrick "Pat" Taylor, Jr. was born on April 1, 1924, in Wadesboro, North Carolina; and
Whereas, Pat Taylor, Jr. attended the McCallie School in Chattanooga, Tennessee from 1940 to 1942 and received a bachelor's degree in 1945 and a law degree in 1948 from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; and
Whereas, Pat Taylor, Jr. served in the United States Marine Corps from 1945 to 1946 during World War II and from 1951 to 1952 during the Korean War; and
Whereas, Pat Taylor, Jr. practiced law for many years in Wadesboro; and
Whereas, Pat Taylor, Jr. served with honor and distinction in the North Carolina House of Representatives for six consecutive terms between 1955 and 1966; and
Whereas, during his tenure in the General Assembly, Pat Taylor, Jr. was appointed Chair of the Judiciary Committee and Vice‑chair of the Committees on Courts and Judicial Districts and Employment Security and served as a member of several other committees, including Finance, Mental Institutions, Insurance, Highway Safety, and Public Utilities; and
Whereas, Pat Taylor, Jr. was elected as Speaker of the House of Representatives during his last term in the General Assembly; and
Whereas, in 1961, Pat Taylor, Jr. became the recipient of the Judge John J. Parker Award, the highest award given by the North Carolina Bar Association, "for conspicuous contributions to the cause of jurisprudence in North Carolina," and in recognition of his efforts in persuading the General Assembly to pass legislation creating a constitutional amendment on court reform; and
Whereas, Pat Taylor, Jr. was the recipient of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law Distinguished Alumni Award for "Distinction Beyond Professional Excellence"; and
Whereas, Pat Taylor, Jr. served as Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina and as a member of the State Board of Education from 1969 to 1973; and
Whereas, during the 1972 Democratic National Convention, Pat Taylor, Jr. was among those who received votes for the Democratic Vice‑Presidential nomination; and
Whereas, in 2005, Pat Taylor, Jr. wrote "Fourth Down and Goal to Go," an anthology based on his personal and political experiences in North Carolina; and
Whereas, in 2008, Pat Taylor, Jr. and his wife, Elizabeth Lockhart Taylor, and their families were honored by Southern Piedmont Community College, when the college named the newly renovated facility that houses the college's continuing education operations the Lockhart‑Taylor Center and later bestowed an honorary degree; and
Whereas, Pat Taylor, Jr. has served on various boards and committees, including the Board of Trustees of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the General Alumni Board of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina, a member of the Board of Trustees of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Chair of the Board of Trustees of Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina, and a Director of Anson Bank and Trust Company, and was a Rotarian and 32nd Degree Mason; and
Whereas, Pat Taylor, Jr. is a member of Calvary Episcopal Church in Wadesboro; and
Whereas, Pat Taylor, Jr. and his wife, Elizabeth, have been married for almost 60 years and are the parents of three children, Elizabeth Ann Taylor, Hoyt Patrick Taylor, III, and Adam Lockhart Taylor; Now, therefore,
Be it resolved by the Senate, the House of Representatives concurring:
SECTION 1.  The General Assembly honors the memory of Hoyt Patrick Taylor, Sr. and expresses the gratitude and appreciation of this State and its citizens for his life and service to North Carolina.
SECTION 2.  The General Assembly expresses high esteem and regard for the accomplishments of Hoyt Patrick "Pat" Taylor, Jr. and acknowledges with gratitude the distinguished service he provided to his community, State, and nation.
SECTION 3.  The General Assembly also acknowledges and appreciates the generous action of the Taylor family to donate the personal and political papers and records of Hoyt Patrick Taylor, Sr. and Hoyt Patrick Taylor, Jr. to the North Carolina State Archives.
SECTION 4.  The General Assembly, in honor of the contributions made by Hoyt Patrick Taylor, Sr. and Hoyt Patrick Taylor, Jr. to the honorable bodies, further directs the Legislative Services Division of the General Assembly to display a certified copy of this resolution together with pictures of Hoyt Patrick Taylor, Sr. and Hoyt Patrick Taylor, Jr. in a prominent location within the Legislative Building.
SECTION 5.  The Secretary of State shall transmit a certified copy of this resolution to the family of Hoyt Patrick Taylor, Sr. and to Hoyt Patrick Taylor, Jr.
SECTION 6.  This resolution is effective upon ratification.