News & Observer - Terry Sanford: Timeline, April 23, 1998

1917
Born Aug. 20 in Laurinburg to Cecil L. Sanford, a Laurinburg merchant, and Elizabeth Martin Sanford, a schoolteacher.

1939
Earned A.B. degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

1942
Married Margaret Rose Knight of Hopkinsville, Ky. They later had a daughter, Betsee, and a son, Terry Jr.

1942-46
Enlisted as an Army paratrooper and was a first lieutenant in World War II. Saw action in five European campaigns, and won a Bronze Star Medal and a Purple Heart.

1946
Law degree, UNC. Worked as assistant director of the UNC Institute of Government.

1949-57
Partner in the Rose and Sanford law firm in Fayetteville.

1952
Elected to the state Senate, served one two-year term.

1954
Managed Kerr Scott's campaign for the U.S. Senate.

1958-60
Partner in Sanford, Phillips, McCoy & Weaver law firm in Fayetteville.

1960
Elected governor after campaigning for major Southern political leaders to support Democratic presidential candidate John F. Kennedy. Sanford said he was willing to raise taxes to pay for better education, leading opponents to call him "Food Tax Terry."

1965-86
Partner in Sanford, Adams, McCullogh & Beard law firm in Raleigh.

1968
National chairman of Hubert H. Humphrey's campaign for president.

1970
Named president of Duke University. During his 15-year tenure, Duke Medical Center's capacity doubled, the Fuqua Business School was constructed, and the university endowment increased from $70 million to $200 million.

1972
Launched a dark-horse race for the Democratic nomination for president. Strategy was to win North Carolina and go to the national convention as a compromise candidate. Alabama Gov. George Wallace beat Sanford in North Carolina by 50-37 percent.

1973
Chairman of Democratic Party Charter Commission, rewrote presidential nominating rules.

1974
Began organizing second run for president, but it fizzled. Sanford pulled out in 1976 before a rematch with Wallace in North Carolina. Another Southern governor, Jimmy Carter, went on to win.

1981
Rated in a Harvard University study as one of the nation's top 10 governors of the 20th century.

1985
After retiring from Duke, became involved, with his son, in a Durham-based company that developed Treyburn project. Had seats on several corporate boards.

1985
Ran for chairman of national Democratic Party, lost to former Ted Kennedy aide Paul G. Kirk Jr.

1986
Elected to the U.S. Senate, defeating Republican incumbent Jim Broyhill.

1992
Lost his bid for re-election to Republican Lauch Faircloth.

1998
Died April 18 of complications from cancer.

© 1998 The News & Observer Publishing Co. / Raliegh, NC  Used by permission.

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