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xi Acknowledgments The outstanding staff at UNC Press has provided me with assistance far beyond what one might receive from the typical publisher. The staff took a keen interest in the book and made invaluable suggestions. They paid close attention to details in an attempt to achieve perfection. Furthermore, they were unfailingly courteous and welcoming. Some staff members I met and others worked behind the scenes. Caitlin Bell-Butterfield, Paul Betz, Mark Simpson-Vos, Jennifer Hergenroeder, Beth Lassiter, and Regina Mahalek were especially helpful as I wrapped up the project. John Sanders, one of the leading pioneers in the study of government and public affairs of modern North Carolina, took an interest in my study from the beginning. John is as generous with his time as anyone I know. He reads a manuscript with remarkable attention to detail yet never loses sight of the big picture. He has been a selfless mentor to so many students of North Carolina government and politics. Political scientist Patrick Cotter of the University of Alabama devoted hours to the manuscript and offered excellent suggestions. I owe an immense debt of gratitude to Janice Nicholson for typing the initial manuscript. Janice, a longtime family friend, volunteered for the task. She read the manuscript with the keen eye of an individual well trained in the intricacies of English grammar and well versed in North Carolina and American politics. Janice is not only a perfectionist but also skilled in the art of diplomacy. Copyeditor Ellen Goldlust read the book draft with great commitment and an amazing attention to detail. My graduate assistants—Kristen Casper, Amanda McGee, and most recently Spencer Anhalt—have contributed immensely to this effort. My 2011–12 graduate assistant, Stefan Haus, devoted hours to the project and was a constant source of inspiration and insight over a period of a year and a half. As department chairs in recent years, Rick Kearney and Brad Lockerbie were supportive in all respects. In addition, Brad as well as my colleagues Peter Francia and Tinsley E. Yarbrough read portions of the manuscript. Nancy Spalding and Robert Thompson helped me in various ways. And I xii / Acknowledgments could not have completed the project without the help of our administrative support team, Sheila Ellis, Kiwana Washington, and previously Violet Blackwelder, Mary Harris, Mary Wesley Harvey, Becky Moye, and Cynthia Manning Smith. Many other colleagues in the ECU Political Science department sharpened my insights in various ways. So, too, have my students and former students. They have been lively companions with wide-ranging perspectives. While giving full credit where credit is due would take several pages, I must mention several individuals: William Brooks, Michael Carpenter, Jon Dougherty, Daniel J. Fussell, Brent Gaither, Brett Matheson, and Patrick Sebastien. Other friends who have provided inspiration and insights include Leslie Bailey, Phillip Bailey, Robin Cox, Michael Dunne, David Elliott, Marvin Hunt, Robert Hunter, Mitchell McLean, Bill Mercer, Robert Mills, Bobby Mills, Carmine Seavo, Neil Sessoms, Ray Tyler, Cheryl Warren, Reed Warren , and Willis Whichard. Five friends—Jonathan Brooks, George Hearn, Wayne Holloman, Charles Mercer Jr., and Mary Lynn Qurnell—helped open doors and opportunities for me as I sought interviews as well as offered invaluable suggestions. My close relatives were supportive all the way, especially my cousin, Jack Shirey, who read much of the manuscript and provided astute comments. I am indebted to several scholars who have pioneered in the study of modern North Carolina. Political scientist Jack Fleer and historian William Powell led the way. Sociologist Paul Luebke skillfully questioned longterm assumptions related to the state’s “progressive” mystique. Historians David Cecelski, Glenda Gilmore, and Timothy Tyson brought to light the tragic developments in the politics of race in the late 1800s and early 1900s and the impact of these events on modern North Carolina politics. Thad L. Beyle, one of my former professors and a mentor to many, has been a leading figure in the study of American state governments. At the same time, he has been a pacesetter in the study of North Carolina politics, and his DataNet and related publications paved the way for all of us with an interest in the subject. Scholar-journalist Ferrell Guillory has worked closely with Beyle and others to keep many projects going. Earlier, Guillory was a distinguished political reporter for the Raleigh News and Observer. And I am indebted to several historians who have produced biographies of major political figures and campaigns. The works of Augustus M. Burns III, Karl Campbell, William...

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