Textiles and Politics: The Life of B. Everett Jordan From Saxapahaw to the United States Senate Book

Textiles and politics were the two major motivating forces in the life of B. Everett Jordan. In both of these, he felt the pull and responded to the tug of opposing viewpoints. Whether as a mill executive or a U.S. senator, whether in Saxapahaw or Washington, he had to choose between private gain and common good, easy deception or painful truth, personal expediency or the public interest. Entrepreneurial-minded, Jordan undoubtedly would have succeeded in business entirely on his own, but a wealthy uncle gave him a major boost by purchasing a textile mill and then making him the manager and ultimately the major owner. Tightfisted and opposed to unions, as a conservative and practical businessman, Jordan relentlessly pared costs and stressed profit growth. In this way, the poor son of a Methodist minister became a multimillionaire. In politics, Jordan was active both in North Carolina and on the national scene. On the state level, he built Democratic party strength through his aggressive fundraising. As a U.S. senator, he grew in stature, his horizons broadened, and he often voted his conscience - not necessarily for conservative or liberal issues or sometimes even as his industry wanted, but for what was best for his constituents and the country. In Washington, Jordan rubbed shoulders with many of the top people whose names appeared frequently in the evening news. But his name did not. As a power player, but one fearful of journalists, he was content to move behind the scenes, effectively yet unobtrusively. And for good reason, perhaps, because he was not an eloquent speaker or even much of a reader and never cared to have anyone looking over his shoulder. And, once he took a position - right or wrong - he was not one to apologize for his actions. These pages trace the career of a strong and intriguing personality, who made major contributions to the textile industry as well as to his state and the nation.