I attended Statesville City Schools and graduated from Statesville Senior High School in 1963.  I attended the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill and graduated with a degree in economics in 1967.  I served in the United States Army with the 2nd Infantry Division in the DMZ of Korea in 1968 and 1969.  I attended the University of North Carolina Law School in Chapel Hill on the G.I. Bill and graduated in 1972.  Immediately after graduating,  I was licensed to practice law and did so in Graham, NC for 3 years.  I have had a general trial practice in Statesville, NC since returning home in 1975. I served as the 22nd Judicial District Bar Councilor for nine years (representing Alexander and Iredell Counties). With regard to the North Carolina State Bar Association, I am the past chairman of the LAMP Committee (Legal Assistance to Military Personnel Committee). I am also a Sunday School teacher at Rocky Hill Baptist Church.