The Shelby Dynasty

“The Shelby Dynasty” was the nickname given to a political machine named for its locus in the town of Shelby, NC. This group of six powerful men controlled state government for 20 years (1929-49) after gaining power with the 1928 election of Governor O. Max Gardner. They were Oliver Max Gardner, Clyde Roark Hoey, Odus McCoy Mull, Lee Beam Weathers, Edwin Yates Webb, and James Landrum Webb. Read more. . .

Oliver Max Gardner served as the 57th governor of North Carolina from 1929 to 1933. A member of the Democratic Party, Gardner worked in the administrations of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman. Read more. . .

Clyde Roark Hoey served in both houses of the state North Carolina legislature and served briefly in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1919 to 1921. He was North Carolina’s governor from 1937 to 1941. Read more. . .

Odus McCoy Mull was a lawyer, businessman, and state politician. He was known as the father of Workman’s Compensation laws in the state of NC.  Read more. . .

Lee Beam Weathers was the editor and publisher of The Shelby Daily Star from 1911 until his death in 1958. He also served four terms in the North Carolina Senate. Read more. . .

Edwin Yates Webb was a Democratic United States Representative from North Carolina and a U.S. district judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of North Carolina. Read more. . .

James L. Webb was elected Mayor of Shelby in 1880. In 1883 he was elected to the NC Senate, holding that office until President Grover Cleveland  appointed him as a postal inspector in 1885. He served in that capacity for six months, and in 1887 he was reelected to the Senate and served as its president pro tempore. Read more. . .

Timeline of Service

  • 1880-1882

    James Landrum Webb serves as Mayor of Shelby.

  • 1883, 1887

    James Landrum Webb serves in the NC Senate

  • 1899-1901

    Clyde Roark Hoey serves in the NC House of Representatives.

  • 1901

    Edwin Yates Webb serves in the NC Senate.

  • 1903

    Clyde Roark Hoey serves in the NC Senate.

  • 1907-1908

    Odus M. Mull serves in the NC House of Representatives.

  • 1911, 1913, 1915

    Oliver Max Gardner serves in the NC Senate.

  • 1911-1958

    Lee Beam Weathers is owner and editor of The Shelby Daily Star from 1911 until his death in 1958.

  • 1919-1920

    Odus M. Mull serves again in the NC House of Representatives.

  • 1919-1948

    Edwin Yates Webb serves as a U. S. District Court Judge for the Western District of North Carolina.

  • 1929

    Odus M. Mull serves again in the House of Representatives.

  • 1939-1941

    Odus M. Mull serves again in the House of Representatives.

  • 1943-1949

    Lee Beam Weathers serves in the NC Senate.

  • 1947

    Odus M. Mull serves again in the House of Representatives.

  • 1948-1955

    Edwin Yates Webb serves as a U. S. District Court Senior Judge for the Western District of North Carolina.

In summary:

NC General Assembly Members from Cleveland County

Senate

Senatorterm
A. W. Burton1860-1861
W. J. T. Miller1872
Jesse Jenkins1874-1875
L. J. Hoyle1879-1880
James L. Webb1883, 1887
L. N. Durham1891
J. B. Fortune1895
James Y. Hamrick1895
J. A. Anthony1897
E. Y. Webb1901
Clyde R. Hoey1903
William A. Mauney1907-1908
Oliver Max Gardner1911, 1915
David Z. Newton1919-1920
Samuel C. Lattimore1923-1924
Horatio T. Fulton1927
Peyton McSwain1931
Carl S. Thompson1935
Ralph W. Gardner1939
Lee B. Weathers1943-1949
Clyde Nolan1951
Robert F. Morgan1953-1963
Jack H. White1965-1969
John Ollie Harris1971
William K. Mauney, Jr.1973-1976
John Ollie Harris1975-1990 and 1993-1994
Dennis Davis1995-1996
Debbie Clary2009-2012
Wes Westmoreland2011-2012
W. Ted Alexander2019-2026

House of Representatives

Representativeterm
James Y. Hamrick1844-1845
Joshua Beam1846-1847
James Y. Hamrick1848-1849
Gold Griffin Holland1850-1851
A. W. Burton1852
Gold G. Holland, W. W. Wright1854-1855
William M. Blanton, Frederick S. Ramsour1856-1857
G. Dickson, Abraham G. Waters1858-1859
John R. Logan, Abraham G. Waters1858-1861
David Beam, John R. Logan1860-1864
David Beam, John W. Gidney1864-1865
John W. Gidney, John R. Logan1865-1866
Plato Durham, George W. Whitfield1866-1867
Plato Durham1868-1869
Lee M. McAfee1870-1872
John W. Gidney1872-1874
Allen Bettis1874-1875
Reuben McBrayer1876-1877
L. E. Powers1879-1880 and 1883
James Y. Hamrick1881
Thomas Dixon1885
Henry F. Schenck1887
W. C. Hamrick1889
E. D. Dickson1891
Sylvanus Erwin1893
L. L. Smith1895
Benjamin F. Dixon1897
Clyde R. Hoey1899-1901
William A. Goode1903
R. L. Ryburn1905
Otis M. Mull1907-1908
Drury S. Lovelace1909
Charles J. Woodson1911
Robert B. Miller1913
James B. Smith1915
William A. Mauney1917
Otis M. Mull1919-1920
Peyton McSwain1921
R. Roan Davis1923-1924
Bayard T. Falls, Jr.1925-1927
Otis M. Mull1929
Henry B. Edwards1931
Ernest A. Gardner1933-1938
Otis M. Mull1939-1941
Bayard T. Falls, Jr.1943
Charles C. Horn1945
Otis M. Mull1947
Bayard T. Falls, Jr.1949-1957
William J. Palmer, Jr.1959-1963
Robert Z. Falls1965-1976
William K. Mauney, Jr.1967-1971
John J. Hunt1972-1976
Robert Z. Falls, Edith Ledford Lutz1977-1978
Robert Z. Falls, Edith L. Lutz, John J. Hunt1979-1980
John J. Hunt, Edith L. Lutz1981-1982
John J. Hunt, Edith L. Lutz1983-1984
John J. Hunt, Edith L. Lutz1985-1986
John J. Hunt, Edith L. Lutz1987-1988
John J. Hunt, Edith L. Lutz, John H. Weatherly1989-1990
John J. Hunt, Edith L. Lutz1991-1992
John J. Hunt, Edith L. Lutz, John H. Weatherly1993-1994
Debbie Clary, John J. Hunt, John H. Weatherly1995-1996
Debbie Clary, Andrew T. Dedmon, John H. Weatherly1997-1998
Debbie Clary, Andrew T. Dedmon, William James Horn1999-2000
Debbie Clary, Andrew T. Dedmon, John H. Weatherly2001-2002
Debbie Clary, Tim Moore2003-2004
Debbie Clary, Tim Moore2005-2006
Debbie Clary, Tim Moore2007-2008
Tim Moore2009-2010
Tim Moore2011-2012
Tim Moore2013-2014
Tim Moore – elected Speaker2015-2016
Tim Moore, Speaker2017-2018
Tim Moore, Speaker2019-2020
Tim Moore, Speaker2021-2022
Tim Moore, Speaker2023-2024