Clarence W. Meadows
As a youth, he showed a passion for public speaking, and his parents attempted to direct him toward a career as a Baptist minister.However, Meadows was instead drawn toward the stage and, after receiving a degree from Washington and Lee University, he became active in his hometown's theater troupe.Meadows received a law degree from the University of Alabama in 1927 and subsequently entered into an active career in politics.In 1930, Meadows won in his first run for elective office, as he entered the West Virginia House of Delegates for a single term.As governor, his priorities included ameliorating labor strife in the coal industry, increasing access to quality education, and improving transportation to the geographically isolated state.