Julien “Jule” Knox Warren

Julien Knox Warren, a prominent Jones County attorney, served on the ECTC board during a challenging decade and a half, from 1929–1945, coinciding with the onset of the Great Depression, the passing of East Carolina’s founding president, Dr. Robert H. Wright (1870–1934), the elevation of Dr. Leon R. Meadows (1884–1953) as Wright’s successor in 1934, the impact of WWII on ECTC, and then during Warren’s final years while in failing health, Meadows’ resignation following indictments for embezzlement and false pretense. A loyal friend of East Carolina and an active supporter of educational causes in eastern North Carolina, Warren emerged during the Meadows scandal as part of the pro-Meadows faction willing to vote, even as the Meadows’ presidency collapsed into criminal scandal, that he, Meadows, was, from the perspective of the board, exonerated of any wrongdoing in handling school finances. Warren was spared the final chapter in the scandal: he passed away January 25, 1945, eight months before Meadows was convicted and sentenced to three years imprisonment.

Governor O. Max Gardner (1882–1947) appointed Warren to serve in 1929 along with eight other trustees, four of whom were reappointments — E. G. Flanagan (1875–1942) of Greenville, James Lester Griffin of Pittsboro (1874–1930), Henry Clark Bridgers (1876–1951) of Tarboro, and Mrs. W. B. Murphy (1888–1980) of Snow Hill. Warren was one of five newly appointed trustees. He was named to replace outgoing trustee, John Sandlin Hargett (1874–1936), also of Trenton, whom Gov. Gardner had appointed assistant director of the N. C. Department of Conservation and Development.

Warren was born in Edenton, graduated from the Bingham School at Asheville, and, in 1907, completed a law degree at the University of North Carolina. Throughout his professional life as an attorney, he practiced law in Trenton, Jones County, but also had significant farming interests there as well. During WWI, he served on the home front in three capacities: as chair of the Legal Advisory Board for Jones County, chair of the Jones County Council of Defense, and as a captain in the 52nd North Carolina Reserves.

Warren also served as chairman of the Jones County school board and in the spring of 1941, arranged to have Dr. Meadows address the graduating seniors at Trenton High School. Earlier, Warren had arranged for ECTC Professor R. C. Deal to deliver the commencement address at Trenton High. Along with several other trustees and political dignitaries, Warren was on campus November 17, 1941, when then first lady, Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt (1884–1962), gave a talk in Wright Auditorium. Earlier that day, Warren and his wife had been among the many invited to dinner with Mrs. Roosevelt in the College Dining Hall.

Warren was also the attorney for Jones County and, in that capacity, helped ensure payment of teachers even during the financially strained times of the Great Depression. As a farm owner, he often spoke in support of hard-pressed tobacco growers facing depressed prices for their crops. Working with the State College Extension Service, Warren emphasized the importance of good drainage on farmland, and was a leader in Jones County in replacing drainage ditches with more efficient underground piping. In the late 1930s, he served as an attorney for the rural electrification project extending electricity to Jones and Onslow counties. He was also a member of the board of the state-controlled Atlantic and North Carolina Railroad Company.

Active in Democratic Party politics and for many years chair of the Jones County Democratic Executive Committee, Warren was an associate of Senator Furnifold M. Simmons (1854-1940), from Pollocksville, and served as the administrator of Simmons’ estate following his passing in 1940 and was an honorary pallbearer at Simmons’ funeral.

At one of the most consequential junctures in ECTC history, Warren voted, in March 1944, in support of the board resolution stating that Meadows was “completely exonerated from any suggestions of wrongdoing or misapplication of college funds….” In this, he joined the majority pro-Meadows faction including Fordyce C. Harding (1869-1956) of Greenville, Dr. Paul V. Fitzgerald (1882-1957) of Greenville, Mrs. Frank L. Greathouse (1893–1970) of Rocky Mount, Mrs. John G. Dawson (1888–1975) of Kinston, Mrs. Charles M. Johnson (1893–1972) of Raleigh, Mrs. Charles S. Forbes (1883–1964) of Greenville, and Mrs. W. B. Murphy. Opposed to the resolution were J. Herbert Waldrop (1895–1966) of Greenville, Arthur B. Corey (1891–1950) of Greenville, Alexander Boyd Andrews (1877–1946) of Raleigh, and Oscar Percy Makepeace (1883–1965) of Sanford. Regardless of the board’s vote, the Pitt County Grand Jury on April 26, 1944, returned true bills of indictment charging 16 counts of embezzlement and one of false pretense by Meadows. In the meantime, Meadows, then 60, requested the board’s permission to resign, which he did, effective May 1, 1944. The trustees soon named Dr. Howard J. McGinnis (1882–1971), then ECTC registrar, to serve as acting president.

Following Warren’s passing in January 1945, Governor Robert Gregg Cherry (1891-1957) appointed Thomas J. Hackney (1889–1971) of Wilson to serve until the expiration of Warren’s term in 1949.

Sources

• “Blount Elected Head of Railway: Greenville Man and J. K. Warren of Trenton Named A&NC Directors.” News and Observer. August 7, 1942. P. 8.
• “Board Presses Drive for Rural Power Job.” News and Observer. June 9, 1939. P. 9.
• Carraway, Gertrude. “First Lady Gets Welcome in Pitt: Mrs. Roosevelt Spends Busy Day at E.C.T.C. and in NYA Resident Center.” News and Observer. November 18, 1941. Pp. 1, 2.
• “Drainage.” News and Observer. November 25, 1940. P. 7.
• “ECTC Board’s Resolution.” News and Observer. March 22, 1944. P. 2.
• “Five New Members Appointed To ECTC Trustees: Four Appointed for Terms of Six Years, One Named to Unexpired Term.” News and Observer. August 18, 1945. P. 2.
• “Gov. Appoints New Trustees for E.C.T.C.” News and Observer. July 3, 1929. P. 5.
• “Governor Reappoints Members of Boards: E.C.T.C. Trustees Named; Directors Retained For Confederate Woman’s Home.” News and Observer. July 2, 1937. P. 18.
• Hunter, Marjorie. “Meadows Enters Prison, Abandoning His Appeal.” News and Observer. September 26, 1945. Pp. 1, 2.
• “J. K. Warren, 58, Dies in Hospital: Trenton Attorney Dies at Richmond After Period of Failing Health.” News and Observer. January 28, 1945. P. 6.
• Moye, R. O. “College Shows Unusual Growth: Now Enrolls Students from Three-Fourths of Counties.” News and Observer. August 29, 1936. P. 18.
• Newsom, Frances. “Dr. Meadows Exonerated by Trustees of College: ECTC Board Votes, 8 to 4, to Exonerate President of ‘Not Satisfactorily Account’ for $18,636.34 of College and Student Funds; ‘We Found All Such Funds Accounted For,’ Board Says.'” News and Observer. March 22, 1944. P. 1.
• Newsom, Frances. “ECTC Trustees Stand Pat on Action in Three Cases: Board Votes, 8 to 3, Against Rehiring of ReBarker, Henderson, Wright.” News and Observer. July 19, 1944. Pp. 1, 2.
• Newsom, Frances. “Meadows Audit Received By Trustees of College.” News and Observer. March 11, 1944. P. 1.
• “Fail to Elect Head of Teachers’ College.” News and Observer. August 24, 1934. P. 8.
• “Mrs. Roosevelt to Appear Here Monday Night.” Teco Echo. November 14, 1941. P. 1. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/37896
• “Teachers Will Get Back Pay in Jones.” News and Observer. July 12, 1936. P. 3.
• “Throngs Accord Simmons Tribute.” News and Observer. May 2, 1940. P. 5.
• “Trenton Finals.” News and Observer. April 27, 1941. P. 2.
• “Trenton Finals Held.” News and Observer. May 22, 1938. Society Section X, p. 11.

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