University of North Carolina Chapel Hill - Yackety Yack Yearbook (Chapel Hill, NC)

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Kemp Plummer Battle, LLD. WE are glad to dedicate this number of our annual to Kemp Pluminer Battle, LL.D., Alumni Professor of History, and former President of the University of North Carolina. Dr. Battle was born in Franklin County, N ' orth Carolina, Decoud er 19, 1S31. His father, William Il.n-u liiittle, nf the class of IS O. a lircat- grandson of Elisba Battle of the Cnustitutional Convention of ITTU, was fur years a Supreme Court Judge of tlie Stat . His mother, Lucy lartiu I ' lum- mer, a grand-daughter of Colonel Nicholas Long of Kevcilutinnarv fame, was a daughter of Kemp Pluuuncr, State Senator from Warren Cnuuty. wlm was known as The honest lawyer. He entered the University in 184.5 ami graduated four years latter at the age of seventeen. Tlie ])rizc nratinu, tlic Valedictory address, was drawn for by the three first honor men (d ' the class, and l r. Battle was the successful one of those who drew for this coveted ]irizc. In bis senior year, as PresidenI nf the Dialectic Society, ho, in cuiiiiiauy with Hon. James Mebane, first President cd ' the Society and ex-Speaker of the House of Connmius, ]iresidcd ;it the dedicatory services ai the then new Dialectic Hall, wliieli is uow known as the History Room in the Old West Building. After graduation, he was elected tutor of uiatheumties, in wliicli capacity he sensed for four years, during wliicb time he studied law under liis fatiier, receiving his license in IS.M, ami at once began a remunerative ju ' actice in co-partnership with Quentin Busbee of the Raleigh Bar. In 1855 he married Miss Martha Battle, a distant rcdative, who is still living, the joy of his life. 1 ' liey liavc ' been blessed with seven children, five of whom reached maturity. His daughter Nellie, wife of Dr. Richard H. Lewis of Raleigh, N. C, died in lS8y. His four living children are Dr. Kemp P. Battle, Jr., of Raleigh, N. C, Thomas 11. Battle of Rocky Mount, N. C, Herbert B. Battle of Montgomery, Ala., and W. J. Battle, Pli.i)., of the University of Texas. In 1860, he Avas one of the Whig camlidates for the House of CVimnions in Wake County, and, although himself defeated, he aided in changing a Democratic majority nf o ci- ti e liuudreil to a Whig majority of two hundred. In this campaigTi he ] re| ared a pamphlet on ' ' Ad Valorem Ta.xation Explain ed by Questions and Answers, which was so highly valued by his party that one hundred thousand cojiies were |ii ' inteil and distributid among the people of the State. During the pi ' esidential campaign id ' ISliO, he was President of