Harper, Margaret Taylor, 1917-2009

Margaret Taylor Harper was born in Southport, N.C., 17 February 1917, the daughter of Charles Edward and Jessie Stevens Taylor. In 1937, she received her B.A. from Greensboro College and married James M. Harper, Jr., editor of the State Port Pilot . In addition to working for the Pilot, she operated the Stevens Insurance Agency, a business established in 1890 by her maternal grandfather.

Margaret Harper's interests have been diverse. She has worked in support of numerous community improvement measures, serving on many boards and chairing many committees. Among other activities, she has been secretary treasurer of the North Carolina Press Association and president of North Carolina Democratic Women, North Carolina Press Women, and the North Carolina Federation of Women's Clubs. She has served on the boards of numerous organizations and institutions, including the Board of Trustees of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she headed several committees. She has received many service and honorary awards.

In 1968, Harper became the first woman in North Carolina to seek the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor. She ran a strong second in that race, amassing 148,613 votes (22%) and carrying five counties.

Harper has two sons, James M. Harper III and Edward Taylor Harper, both of whom have been active in journalism.

From the guide to the Margaret Taylor Harper Papers, 1955, (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Historical Collection.)