Governor to attend naming ceremony
By Steve Herring
Published in News on October 18, 2017 5:50 AM
A ceremony dedicating a section of the U.S. 70 Goldsboro Bypass as the John H. Kerr III Highway will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, Nov. 3.
Gov. Roy Cooper is expected to attend the ceremony to be held in Courtroom No. 1 in the Wayne County Courthouse.
Kerr's sons, John H. Kerr IV and James Y. Kerr II, will speak.
Wayne County Commissioner Wayne Aycock will speak on behalf of the county.
The 5-mile section of bypass to be dedicated in memory of Kerr stretches from the highway's interchange with Interstate 795 to U.S. 13.
The ceremony was announced Tuesday morning during the commissioners' meeting.
The late Kerr, one of the most powerful members of the state General Assembly, championed improvements to state infrastructure including the bypass and the I-795 designation for a four-lane U.S. 117 between Goldsboro and Wilson.
Gus Tulloss of Rocky Mount, who represents District Four on the state Board of Transportation, made the motion in June to name the section in memory of Kerr.
The DOT Board unanimously approved the motion.
Born in Warrenton, Kerr was a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, president of the junior class, treasurer of the student body and president of the Order of the Grail.
After receiving his bachelor's degree, Kerr attended the University of North Carolina Law School, receiving a law degree with honors in 1961.
He was first elected to the state House of Representatives in 1986, serving three terms before being elected to the state Senate, where he served from 1992 until 2008.
In their resolution to the state seeking the designation, commissioners praised Kerr for his dedication on focusing attention on the need to bolster eastern North Carolina's infrastructure -- including the need for improvements for water, sewer, natural gas and roads.
The resolution added that Kerr dedicated his life to his family, Madison Avenue Baptist Church, numerous boards, civic organizations -- causes that touched the lives of the people and communities in North Carolina and especially in eastern North Carolina.
Kerr received the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, the state's highest civilian honor, and a plaque of appreciation from the N.C. Rural Economic Development Center for his leadership in providing financial assistance on water and sewer projects for struggling communities across the state.