Edmisten, Rufus, 1941-

Rufus Leigh Edmisten was a North Carolina attorney general, Democratic candidate for governor, and secretary of state. Born 12 July 1941 in Boone, N.C., Edmisten began his political career early by serving as student body president at Appalachian High School in 1959, the same year he graduated. He then attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he earned a B.A. in political science and religious studies in 1963.

Edmisten next attended the George Washington University School of Law in Washington, D.C. He joined the staff of North Carolina Senator Sam J. Ervin Jr. while still attending law school at night. When Edmisten graduated from law school in 1966, Senator Ervin appointed him counsel for the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Constitutional Rights. Edmisten specialized in civil rights legislation, especially for Native Americans, and the separation of church and state. In 1969, Senator Ervin named him chief counsel and staff director for the Subcommittee on Separation of Powers.

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