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William MacCorkleAmerican educator, lawyer, financier and politician.
Date of Birth: 07.05.1857
Country:  USA |
Content:
- Early Life and Education
- Legal and Political Career
- Industrial Promotion
- Post-Governorship
- Business and Legacy
Early Life and Education
William McCorkle was born near Lexington, Virginia. He attended schools in Pocahontas County, West Virginia, before pursuing his higher education at Washington and Lee University in Lexington.
Legal and Political Career
Upon returning to West Virginia in 1879, McCorkle established his law practice while also teaching at a local school. He served as the county's prosecuting attorney from 1880 to 1889. In 1884, he married Belle Goshorn.
In 1892, McCorkle was elected as the ninth Governor of West Virginia as a Democrat. As governor, he focused on improving state institutions, infrastructure, and attracting industry to utilize the state's resources.
Industrial Promotion
Governor McCorkle actively promoted the development of railroads and the exploitation of West Virginia's natural resources. He believed in the state's right to benefit from its own wealth and opposed absentee ownership and control of land.
McCorkle also initiated a statewide publicity campaign to attract industries that could utilize the state's abundant resources. However, he opposed labor unions and used the state militia to suppress strikes by coal miners.
Post-Governorship
After completing his term, McCorkle returned to Charleston and continued practicing law. He also traveled extensively, promoting West Virginia and its resources. In 1910, he was elected to the West Virginia Senate.
Business and Legacy
William McCorkle was the founder and president of the Citizens National Bank, which later merged with the National Bank of Charleston. In 1928, he published his autobiography, "The Recollections of Fifty Years."
McCorkle died at his home, "Sunrise," on September 24, 1930, at the age of 73. Charleston's McCorkle Avenue is named in his honor. In the 1960s, his former estate was converted into a children's museum. In 1973, the museum was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The museum was eventually relocated, and the "Sunrise" estate now houses a law firm.
