Gov. Bev Perdue has ordered that all North Carolina flags at state facilities be flown at half-staff in tribute to former State Auditor Ralph Campbell Jr.
This will extend the current order to lower North Carolina flags for the Tucson tragedy through the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday and raise them at sunrise Tuesday.
Campbell, who was the first black person elected to statewide executive office in 1992 and previously served multiple terms on the Raleigh City Council, passed away on Tuesday. His funeral is scheduled for today.
All employees of the Department of Administration join Governor Perdue in honoring Campbell, whose family has contributed significantly to the advancement of civil rights in North Carolina. His brother Bill Campbell became the first black student to integrate Raleigh city schools in 1960.
He also is survived by siblings Mildred Christmas and Eddie Campbell, both longtime employees of the Department of Administration, in the divisions of Purchase and Contract and Facility Management, respectively.
For flag information, contact DOA Communications Director Jill Warren Lucas at jill.lucas@doa.nc.gov or 919-807-2496. To join the North Carolina Flag Alert list serve, visit http://lists.ncmail.net/mailman/listinfo/flag.alerts. To view the new North Carolina State Government Flag Guide, visit http://www.doa.nc.gov/facility/documents/flagbrochure.pdf.