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In May 1996, a political unknown made waves in the North Carolina gubernatorial race. Jolene Strickland was a small-town mayor, educator, NASCAR fan, and daughter of a tobacco farmer. She lived on Big Bluffs Street, had a bird dog named Mercy Me, and spoke in homespun witticisms.

“When I was a newlywed,” Strickland said, “I told my mother I hoped one day I wouldn’t have to clip coupons. She told me, she said, ‘Jo, you stop practicing thrift and the devil will move into your kitchen.’ Like he was going to come and live in the toaster oven!”

Her campaign slogan: “Too Good To Be True.”

And she was. Strickland was a fabrication of the reporters of Durham’s Independent Weekly—a reflection of their dissatisfaction with the real candidates in the race, and an attempt to prove a point.

As any modern voter knows, perfect candidates don’t exist. So today, Barry Yeoman tells the complete history of the time an idealistic bunch of young journalists decided to craft someone who fit the bill, and why Jolene Strickland may have been ahead of her time. 

Too Good to Be True

When Jolene Strickland ran for governor in 1996, she received press coverage, money, and votes. If only she existed.

On the Rise

The Sandhills summer put a sheen on Darrell Allison’s forehead, but Fayetteville State University’s chancellor kept his blazer buttoned as he shook hands and greeted attendees gathered to celebrate the construction of new dorm on East Campus in July.

When Allison took office in 2021, critics dismissed him as a political appointee with no academic qualifications. They alleged he was chosen in a engineered selection process and pushed ahead of more qualified candidates.

But three-and-a-half years into his tenure at FSU, Allison has racked up evidence of success, including more than $210 million in capital improvements, gains in enrollment and retention, and a doubling of research grants. The new dorm is just one prominent example of how he’s changing the historically Black university.

An Unconventional Chancellor Keeps His Cool

Many were skeptical of Darrell Allison. Now FSU enrollment is up, dropouts are down, and new buildings are rising. Has he shown detractors he was the right person for the job?

Critics may have been right about Allison skirting the traditional process. But reporter Paul Woolverton found many in the campus community seem to be coming around to the idea that he was the right choice.

Have a news tip for our team? You can reach us at scoops@theassemblync.com.

What We’re Reading

Vouch For It: The state legislature passed a spending bill Wednesday that eliminates a large waitlist for private school vouchers, The Associated Press reports. It’s likely to become law later this year despite an expected veto by Gov. Roy Cooper.

Mouse House: One of the developers behind Chatham County’s planned Disney community told Business NC’s podcast that the project will be an upscale neighborhood, not “a theme park deal.” The Assembly wrote about the development in June.

The Meck Blues: The New York Times reports that Mecklenburg County is key to Democrats’ presidential hopes in North Carolina, but the party hasn’t performed as well as they’d like there since 2008.

Dig In: Silver ceremonial shovels in hand, officials marked the start of construction on the Methodist University Cape Fear Valley Health School of Medicine, our partners at CityView report.

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