Harvey Cloyd Philpott
Quick Facts
Biography
Harvey Cloyd Philpott (April 6, 1909 – August 19, 1961) was the 24th Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina in 1961 serving under Governor Terry Sanford.
Philpott, a onetime member of the North Carolina House of Representatives, was elected as a Democrat to a four-year term as Lieutenant Governor in 1960, but he died only eight months into his term, on August 18, 1961. As the Constitution of North Carolina does not provide for filling a vacancy in the office, it remained vacant until after the 1964 general election. The Lt. Governor's primary responsibility, presiding over the North Carolina Senate, fell to the President pro tempore.
In his short time in office, Cloyd Philpott was a key ally in the legislature for Governor Terry Sanford. According to Sanford biographer Marion Ellis, they "came from different worlds, but the two had grown close during the fall 1960 campaign. Philpott was a Lexington furniture manufacturer who was well respected in the state's business community. Before Philpott announced his own plans for public office, Sanford had considered him a possible manager for his campaign. He was a warm, friendly, unpretentious man who wore his thinning hair trimmed in a crew cut."