The Piedmont

Judge Henry Frye
Chief Justice, North Carolina Supreme Court

"The farm was the heart of my youth. As a boy, I enjoyed working with the grown-ups, even topping tobacco. What I did not like was suckering tobacco: breaking off the stems that grew on the sides. The juice made you itch. We wore long-sleeve shirts to prevent the tobacco juice from gluing the hair on our arms to our skin."

Court Judge Henry Frye was the first black justice to serve on the state Supreme Court. He has also served in the North Carolina House of Representatives and the North Carolina Senate. His long background in public service is a foundation for his lively perspective on society and culture.