Bob Scott begins part 2 by recounting his decision to run for lieutenant governor in 1964. Ironically, his decision to become involved in politics began after a short newspaper article surmised that he would be running for governor. Several phone calls from supporters and conversations with close colleagues made him realize that he did have support to run for political office, but by the time he formerly decided to run, the major gubernatorial candidates already had significant backing. After he held a press conference to announce that he would not be running for governor, his colleagues suggested the lieutenant governor’s race because they said it was a “sleeper” race and that the position of lieutenant governor had little governing power of its own.

He did, however, formerly campaign for governor during the next gubernatorial election, despite some very volatile issues that were plaguing the state at the time. After he won the election, the public division over school integration and the U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War continued to haunt his entire term. Looking back, he says he is proud that he was able to facilitate communication between the two sides, even though he had to use the National Guard or the state police to keep the peace at times. His accomplishment as governor, he says, is what did NOT happen—the violence and riots that were occurring in other states.

He had to be a mediator himself, as he did in Harnett County when several of the town’s citizens were staunchly opposing integration, and during an anti-Vietnam War rally at the state capitol, when demonstrators burned him in effigy. The priority of government during the time was “law and order,” as he states, and he sometimes had to speak firmly about keeping the law or allow a group to speak to him directly to find some common ground.

During his tenure as governor, he also oversaw the consolidation of the state university system into its 16 campuses. Before his term, only five campuses were consolidated—Chapel Hill, NC State, Wilmington, Asheville and Greensboro. Changing college or university status at the state level was also done based on political support, so when college and university leaders heard that the state legislature would be deciding which universities to include in its state university system, they all showed up at the capitol. To make the decision-making process fairer, Governor Scott appointed the Warren Commission to study all of the issues and decide which universities would be included. Governor Scott says the decision was finally announced, but not without much blood and in fighting.

One of Governor Scott’s major priorities was to establish a kindergarten system for the state. With some urging, he talked the General Assembly into passing a bill to set up a pilot program in eight schools. As a result of the pilot program, Governor Scott discovered that the schools were not ready to implement a kindergarten program, primarily because they did not have either the teachers or the equipment to begin at that level. However, to pave the way for a future statewide kindergarten program, Governor Scott approved the first cigarette tax in the state—at the price of a soft drink tax that put his relationship with his supporters in the soft drink industry at risk.

Governor Scott achieved several other accomplishments as well, including an open classroom at Ocracoke Island in a new classroom building that had not yet been used and getting water to Mitchell County after they lost their main water source. One of the bills he hoped to have passed before he left office—allowing the governor a second term—unfortunately was defeated.