Beverly Perdue

Beverly "Bev" Perdue was the first female governor of North Carolina, a two-term lieutenant governor, and a former state representative and state senator. She then attended the University of Kentucky, graduating with a bachelor of arts in history in 1969. She then earned a master's in education in community college administration on June 8, 1974, and a doctorate in education administration on March 20, 1976, both from the University of Florida in Gainesville, Fla. She wrote her Ph.D. dissertation on how Florida's educational system could better provide for senior citizens. On Jan. 3, 1970, she married her first husband, Gary Raymond Perdue Sr. He worked as an attorney with Stubbs, Perdue, Chesnutt, Wheeler and Clemmons (now Stubbs & Perdue) in New Bern. On Sept. 19, 1976, their first son, Garrett Raymond Jr., was born. He is now married to April Perdue and works as a lobbyist with Womble Carlyle. A second son, John Emmett Morefield, was born on June 19, 1979. He is engaged to Sara Thomas. The couple separated on Aug. 17, 1993, and, after a mandatory year-long waiting period, divorced on Sept. 6, 1994. Gary Perdue died on June 10, 1997, in Pollocksville. She married Robert W. Eaves Jr. in Craven County on Oct. 2, 1997, and changed her name to Beverly Eaves Perdue in 1998. From that marriage, she has a stepdaughter, Charlotte Bock (married to Doug Bock), and a stepson, Robert Eaves III (married to Michelle Eaves). Perdue took the oath of office on Saturday, Jan. 10, 2009, becoming the 73rd governor of North Carolina.