Lily Morehead Mebane | |
|---|---|
 Lily Morehead Mebane, from a 1921 publication. She dressed in traditional Romanian embroidered fabrics, during her time as a relief worker based at Bucharest. | |
| Member of the North Carolina House of Representatives from Rockingham County[1][2] | |
| In office 1931–1935 Serving with Hugh Nelson Binford | |
| Preceded by | Price Henderson Gwynn William B. Wray[3] |
| Succeeded by | Harry R. Lindsey Thomas Clarence Stone[4] |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 13, 1869 Spray, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Died | June 15, 1943 (aged 73) Spray, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Resting place | Lawson Cemetery, Eden, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Spouse | |
| Parents |
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| Relatives | John Motley Morehead III (brother) John Motley Morehead (grandfather) |
| Alma mater | Peace Institute |
| Occupation | politician, relief worker |
| Awards | Serbian Cross of Mercy French Legion of Honour |
Lily Connally Morehead Mebane (August 13, 1869 – June 15, 1943) was an American relief worker, politician, and heiress. During World War I, she chaired the Rockingham County Committee of the North Carolina Division of the Woman's Committee of the Council of National Defense. She worked in France and Romania with the American Committee for Devastated France, where she met Queen Marie of Romania. She remained friends with the Queen Marie until the queen's death in 1938. For her relief work during the war, Mebane was awarded the Cross of Mercy by King Peter I of Serbia and was made Knight of the Legion of Honour by the French government.
In 1930, Mebane organized the first public library in Rockingham County. Later that year she ran for public office, and is considered the first woman to seek public office in Rockingham County. In 1931, she was elected to the North Carolina General Assembly, representing Rockingham County in the North Carolina House of Representatives. She served in the house of representatives for two terms and, after her re-election in 1933, she chaired the Committee on Public Welfare. She was also a registered member of the Conference for Education in the South. Mebane was unanimously endorsed by the North Carolina House of Representatives and the North Carolina Senate to succeed her brother, John Motley Morehead III, as the United States Ambassador to Sweden, but was not appointed to the position. In 1934, she ran an unsuccessful campaign for a seat in the United States Congress.
Mebane was married to Benjamin Franklin Mebane Jr., who worked as a textile industry executive with her father, James Turner Morehead. She and her husband were formally presented to King George V and Queen Mary at the Court of Saint James. After her husband's death in 1926, Mebane inherited his entire estate, estimated to be worth $2,000,000. A collection of her diaries and notes are archived in the Morehead-Mebane Collection at Rockingham Community College. Ten years after her death, Rockingham County celebrated "Lily Morehead Mebane Day" to recognize her role in founding the county library system. Due to her life in public service, she has been called "Rockingham County's First Lady".