Fay Webb-Gardner | |
|---|---|
 Webb-Gardner in wedding attire in 1907 | |
| First Lady of North Carolina | |
| Assumed role January 11, 1929 – January 5, 1933 | |
| Governor | Oliver Max Gardner |
| Preceded by | Margaret French McLean |
| Succeeded by | Matilda Haughton Ehringhaus |
| Second Lady of North Carolina | |
| Assumed role January 11, 1917 – January 12, 1921 | |
| Governor | Thomas Walter Bickett |
| Lieutenant Governor | Oliver Max Gardner |
| Preceded by | Mary Odom Daughtridge |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Fay Lamar Webb September 7, 1885 Shelby, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Died | January 16, 1969 (aged 83) Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Resting place | Sunset Cemetery, Shelby, North Carolina |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Oliver Max Gardner |
| Children | 4 |
| Parent(s) | James L. Webb Kansas Love Andrews |
| Relatives | Edwin Y. Webb (uncle) Margaret Gardner Hoey (sister-in-law) |
| Residence | Webbley |
| Education | Lucy Cobb Institute |
Fay Lamar Webb-Gardner (September 7, 1885 – January 16, 1969) was an American political hostess, businesswoman, and philanthropist. As the wife of Oliver Max Gardner, she served as the Second Lady of North Carolina from 1917 to 1923 and as First Lady of North Carolina from 1929 to 1933. When her husband's political career took them to Washington, D.C., she became known as a prominent society and political hostess and was considered one of the most popular figures in American political circles of the time. Webb-Gardner was active in cultural and civic endeavors and was a member of the American Red Cross, the Woman's Missionary Union, the North Carolina Symphony Society, the National Civic League, and the League of Women Voters, as well as Chairwoman of the North Carolina State Advisory Board of Paroles. A Democrat, she served on the North Carolina Democratic Committee and the Democratic National Committee, and was twice elected as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention.
Gardner–Webb University in Boiling Springs, North Carolina, was named after her and her husband after they made significant financial contributions to the school. Webb later served on the university's board of trustees and as the president of the Gardner Foundation, which helped support the university. An amateur genealogist and member of a prominent North Carolinian family, Webb-Gardner was active in the Colonial Dames of America, the Daughters of the American Revolution, and the United Daughters of the Confederacy.