383:, graduating in 1950. The women in McCain's family had been attending Saint Mary's for generations including her grandmother, Eloise Faison Perrett, and six of her grandaunts. While at Saint Mary's, McCain was very active in campus life. She was elected president of her junior class, vice president of her senior class, and president of Granddaughter's Club her senior year. She was also a member of the school's yearbook staff, honor council, glee club, choir, and the Altar Guild for
33:
430:'s gubernatorial campaign in 1960. She also served as the Chairperson of the Wilson Democratic Precinct in the 1965. She later joined the North Carolina Democratic Party's executive committee in 1971 and served as vice chair in 1972. In 1976, McCain became the first woman to serve as chairperson of the North Carolina Democratic Party. While serving as chairwoman, she worked as the campaign manager for
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502:, first elected in 1987, and was the first woman to serve on the Advisory Budget Commission. In 1989, McCain co-chaired the Pine Needles Network, a political action committee focused on recruiting young women as candidates for state offices. She declined a request to run for the
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in 2010. In
September 2012, McCain received the John T. Caldwell Award from the North Carolina Humanities Council. In 2018, she was a recipient of the North Carolina Museum of History Foundation Philanthropy Award.
340:. Union soldiers set fire to the house three times, but the house was not destroyed. In her childhood, McCain was close to a formerly enslaved man, called "Uncle Robert", who continued to work for her family after
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McCain served as the alumnae class secretary for the Saint Mary's School Class of 1950 and was a patron of the Saint Mary's Annual Fund. She died at her home in Wilson on
November 23, 2022, at age 91.
545:, and she served as the president of the North Carolina Society of Internal Medicine Auxiliary. In 2004, John and Betty Ray McCain were named "Wilsonians of the Year" by the local chapter of the
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McCain grew up in the home of her maternal grandparents, an antebellum mansion built in the 1870s. She was raised in a politically active and liberal household, as her parents were staunch
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391:, graduating with a bachelor's degree in music in 1952. After finishing undergraduate school, McCain moved to New York City in 1952 to pursue a master's degree in education at
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McCain was awarded the
Distinguished Service Medal of the General Alumni Association and a Honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of North Carolina. She also received the
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who were relatives of McCain. As secretary, she was a leader of the North
Carolina Museum of History Associates, the North Carolina Arts Society, and the
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434:'s gubernatorial campaign. She served as an advisor to Hunt during his time as governor, as well as a co-chair in his successful re-election campaigns.
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McCain attended Faison High School, where she was on the basketball team, and graduated a year early as valedictorian in 1947. She went on to attend
479:, and opened the Betty McCain Gallery in Raleigh. When opening the museum of history, McCain organized a women's exhibit that included pictures of
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328:. Her maternal grandmother, Eloise Faison Perrett, was a member of the Faison family, for whom the town was named, and grew up on the 3,500-acre
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461:. During Hunt's third term as governor, he named McCain as the Secretary of Cultural Resources in 1993. As secretary, she opened the
262:. She was also the first woman named to the state's Advisory Budget Committee. As Secretary of Cultural Resources, McCain opened the
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704:"Biographical Conversations With... | Betty Ray McCain: Fireball from Faison | Season 2011 | Episode 1501 | PBS"
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359:, McCain helped her mother serve food and provide necessities to struggling families in their community. She was active in the
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336:. Her mother's family enslaved over one hundred people. During the war, the family's plantation was used as a base for the
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537:, in 1955. They have two children, Paul P. McCain III and Eloise McCain Hassell. They lived in Virginia before moving to
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From 1952 to 1954, McCain worked as a courier for
Educational Travel Associates. She was the assistant director of the
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972:"Betty Ray McCain to Be Honored with John T. Caldwell Award on October 5 in Wilson"
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487:. McCain secured major funding for the building of Meymandi Concert Hall at the
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She married Dr. John L. McCain in an
Episcopal ceremony, officiated by Bishop
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387:. After finishing junior college, McCain continued her education at the
246:; February 23, 1931 – November 23, 2022) was an American politician and
457:. In 1984 she managed Hunt's unsuccessful Senate campaign against
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905:"Betty Ray McCain Art Gallery | Raleigh Convention Center"
1174:"Service this weekend to recall ex-NC Democratic chair McCain"
300:, to Horace Ray, an attorney and former school principal from
1220:"N.C. Museum of History Hosts Foundation Philanthropy Awards"
453:
In 1982 she was a chief lobbyist for the ratification of the
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in Chapel Hill from 1953 to 1955. In 1955, while living in
332:. Through her mother, McCain is related to U.S. Congressman
1202:"Governor honors McCain, 5 others – Restoration NewsMedia"
1148:"North Carolina 'trailblazer for women' McCain dies at 91"
296:
McCain was born Betty Landon Ray on
February 23, 1931 in
564:. In 2001, she received the Design Guild Award from the
258:'s administration and was the first woman to chair the
990:"An evening with Betty Ray McCain in Raleigh March 12"
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Betty Ray McCain, Secretary of
Cultural Resources ...
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McCain also served on the Board of
Visitors for the
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1417:University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill alumni
877:"CULTURAL RESOURCES LEADER TO SPEAK AT GRADUATION"
506:in 1990, and unsuccessfully ran for a seat in the
843:. : North Carolina Historical Commission:
568:College of Design. McCain was inducted into the
274:, and secured funding for the excavation of the
500:University of North Carolina Board of Governors
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1039:"The Charlotte Observer 06 Dec 1989, page 161"
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47:North Carolina Secretary of Cultural Resources
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923:"The News and Observer 20 Mar 1983, page 103"
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8:
1412:Teachers College, Columbia University alumni
1402:State cabinet secretaries of North Carolina
1083:"The Nashville Graphic 09 Nov 1990, page 8"
1018:University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
945:"The Nashville Graphic 01 Feb 2012, page 8"
389:University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
209:University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
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515:UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center
489:Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts
250:. She was the North Carolina Secretary of
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1407:St. Mary's School (North Carolina) alumni
974:. North Carolina Humanities Council, via
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847:. 1995–1996. p. 365. Archived from
838:"North Carolina manual [serial]"
1367:20th-century American women politicians
909:Raleigh Convention Center, i.e. The RCC
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508:North Carolina House of Representatives
170: 1955; died 2005)
1392:North Carolina Democratic Party chairs
1104:Bailey, Nathaniel (January 29, 2011).
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592:Who's Who of American Women, 1997–1998
495:. She served as secretary until 2001.
379:boarding school and junior college in
1061:"The Herald-Sun 06 Feb 1990, page 27"
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310:26th North Carolina Infantry Regiment
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58:January 1993 – January 2001
1265:North Carolina Women's Hall of Fame
570:North Carolina Women's Hall of Fame
465:, celebrated the dedication of the
447:North Carolina Folk Heritage Awards
286:North Carolina Women's Hall of Fame
1397:People from Faison, North Carolina
1146:Fain, Travis (November 23, 2022).
1085:. Newspapers.com. November 9, 1990
1063:. Newspapers.com. February 6, 1990
1041:. Newspapers.com. December 6, 1989
1011:"Betty Ray McCain, Doctor of Laws"
947:. Newspapers.com. February 1, 2012
535:Episcopal Diocese of East Carolina
324:. He later served as a Democratic
284:in 2009 and was inducted into the
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1372:20th-century American politicians
845:North Carolina Secretary of State
1422:Women in North Carolina politics
925:. Newspapers.com. March 20, 1983
772:Woltz, Rebecca (March 1, 2022).
517:and on the Board of Trustees of
498:McCain served four terms on the
463:North Carolina Museum of History
264:North Carolina Museum of History
566:North Carolina State University
485:North Carolina Symphony Society
260:North Carolina Democratic Party
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75:North Carolina Democratic Party
16:American politician (1931–2022)
1154:. Capitol Broadcasting Company
742:"Notable Saint Mary's Alumnae"
541:, where her husband worked at
1:
1387:Girl Scouts of the USA people
1291:Mary Duke Biddle Trent Semans
721:"William Wright Faison House"
882:Greensboro News & Record
549:. John McCain died in 2005.
493:North Carolina Museum of Art
804:Newell, Christiane (2019).
774:"Photo Essay: Wonder Women"
413:Medical College of Virginia
373:Saint Mary's Junior College
204:Saint Mary's Junior College
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1377:American campaign managers
1133:Greensboro News and Record
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1316:Patricia Timmons-Goodson
706:– via www.pbs.org.
543:Wilson Memorial Hospital
351:. Growing up during the
1206:Restoration NewsMedia -
525:Personal life and death
314:Confederate States Army
240:Betty Landon Ray McCain
1301:Helen Copenhaver Hanes
621:"Betty Ray McCain Bio"
539:Wilson, North Carolina
455:Equal Rights Amendment
450:
361:Girl Scouts of the USA
298:Faison, North Carolina
135:Wilson, North Carolina
118:Faison, North Carolina
1286:Sally Dalton Robinson
978:. September 26, 2012.
811:. Saint Mary's School
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330:Friendship Plantation
292:Early life and family
562:North Carolina Award
504:United States Senate
476:Queen Anne's Revenge
441:McCain (right) with
338:Union Army's cavalry
322:Battle of Gettysburg
282:North Carolina Award
277:Queen Anne's Revenge
248:political strategist
228:political strategist
1208:. October 30, 2009.
1182:. November 28, 2022
851:on January 30, 2008
749:Saint Mary's School
393:Columbia University
280:. She received the
214:Columbia University
1226:. January 8, 2019.
1106:"Betty Ray McCain"
725:LandmarkHunter.com
547:American Red Cross
519:PBS North Carolina
451:
418:McCain joined the
363:during her youth.
318:American Civil War
252:Cultural Resources
73:Chairwoman of the
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1321:Elisabeth G. Hair
1281:Valeria Lynch Lee
806:"Alumnae Profile"
599:. December 1996.
597:Marquis Who's Who
473:, excavating the
385:St. Mary's Chapel
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128:November 23, 2022
115:February 23, 1931
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1326:Andrea L. Harris
1311:Betty Ray McCain
1306:Sandra P. Levine
1296:Katie G. Dorsett
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1135:. June 30, 2005.
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308:, served in the
254:during Governor
244:Betty Landon Ray
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96:Personal details
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1184:. Retrieved
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130:(2022-11-23)
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1362:2022 deaths
1357:1931 births
459:Jesse Helms
316:during the
1351:Categories
976:barton.edu
577:References
531:Tom Wright
443:Doc Watson
223:Occupation
146:Democratic
111:1931-02-23
779:Our State
467:USS
377:Episcopal
367:Education
349:Democrats
288:in 2010.
268:USS
197:Education
186:Relatives
87:1976–1979
83:In office
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432:Jim Hunt
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178:Children
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63:Governor
1152:WRAL-TV
533:of the
449:in 1994
381:Raleigh
312:of the
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556:Awards
424:Wilson
399:Career
242:(born
152:Spouse
137:, U.S.
120:, U.S.
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