Angus Wilton McLean

Angus Wilton McLean (April 20, 1870 – June 21, 1935) was an American lawyer and banker who was the 56th governor of North Carolina, serving from 1925 to 1929. McLean also served as Assistant Secretary of the United States Department of the Treasury from 1920 to 1921.

Angus W. McLean
56th Governor of North Carolina
In office January 14, 1925 – January 11, 1929
Lieutenant	Jacob E. Long
Preceded by	Cameron A. Morrison
Succeeded by	Oliver Max Gardner
Personal details
Born	(1870-04-20)April 20, 1870 Robeson County, North Carolina, U.S.
Died	June 21, 1935(1935-06-21) (aged 65) Washington D.C., U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Margaret French McLean
Alma mater	University of North Carolina
Profession	Businessman
Signature

Biography

Born in Maxton, North Carolina the son of Archibald Alexander and Caroline Amanda Purcell McLean, he is a descendant of a proud line of hardy Scots who settled in the Upper Cape Fear Valley.^[1] He was educated at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he earned a law degree in 1892. McLean first entered politics in 1892, serving as the chairman of the Robeson County Democratic Executive Committee. A supporter of Woodrow Wilson, he was a delegate to Democratic National Conventions and sat on the Democratic National Committee.^[2] From 1918 to 1922 he served on the War Finance Corporation board, and from 1920 to 1921 he was the assistant secretary of the Treasury.^[3]

McLean secured the Democratic gubernatorial nomination in 1924 by defeating Josiah W. Bailey.^[4] During his tenure, an executive budget system was initiated; a department of conservation and development was established; and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park was formed.^[2] Governor McLean also helped streamlined North Carolina's economy, which led to a $2.5 million state budget surplus that his successor Oliver Gardner claimed later helped the state survive the Great Depression.^[5][3] After completing his term, McLean retired from political life.

He died on June 21, 1935, in Washington, D.C. Death was attributed to a blood clot in his right lung. He had been ill for several weeks.^[6]

Legacy

His son, Hector (1920–2012), became a bank president and state senator.^[7]

The McLean family of Robeson county, origins are well documented and integrated in the larger narrative of the region. Through marriage and direct relations Angus Wilton McLean is related to the following individuals:

• Malcom McLean, Trucking Tycoon and "Father of the Intermodal Shipping container"
• Flora MacDonald, "Scottish Heroine"
• "Devil John" Bethea, "South Carolina Revolutionary War Hero"
• Virgil Goode, Member of US House of Representatives from Virginia's 5th District