Felix Eugene Alley
Felix Eugene Alley | |
|---|---|
 Portrait of Felix E. Alley, circa 1930 | |
| North Carolina Superior Court Judge | |
| In office 1933–1948 | |
| Solicitor for the Twentieth NC Judicial District | |
| In office 1910–1914 | |
| Representative to the North Carolina General Assembly | |
| In office 1905–1905 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 5 July 1873 Sylva, Jackson County, North Carolina, United States |
| Died | 5 January 1957 (aged 83) North Carolina, United States |
| Parent | John Heywood Alley Jr. |
| Relatives | Alley Family |
| Occupation | Lawyer, politician, judge, author |
Felix Eugene Alley was an American judge, author, and politician, who served as a North Carolina Superior Court Judge from 1933 to 1948. He also served as a representative to the North Carolina General Assembly in 1905.[1]
Life
Felix Alley was born in 1873 to John Heywood Alley Jr. and Sarah Norton. He was a personal lawyer to the Cherokee Chief, William Holland Thomas, and also served as a representative to the North Carolina General Assembly in 1905. He later went on to be a Solicitor for the local North Carolina District Court. His last office was that of North Carolina Superior Court Judge from 1933 to 1948. He retired in 1948 before dying 9 years later in 1957.[2]
Alongside his legal career, Alley was an amateur folklorist and musician. When he was just sixteen years old, he composed 'The Ballad of Kidder Cole,'[3] that became a notable piece of Appalachian folk music. Alley's early life involving traditional mountain music and his banjo which was homemade is detailed in his 1941 memoir.[4]
Legacy
He presided over several cases in the North Carolina Superior Court including State v. McCollum, 6 S.E.2d 503, 210 N.C. 737 (N.C. 1940).[5]
References
- ↑ "Felix Eugene Alley". NCpedia. Retrieved 7 April 2026.
Biographical entry detailing the life of Felix Eugene Alley (1873–1957), including his offices as Clerk of Superior Court, solicitor, county attorney, and Superior Court judge in North Carolina.
- ↑ "Felix E. Alley Papers". North Carolina Digital Collections. Retrieved 7 April 2026.
Finding aid and archival materials for the papers of Felix E. Alley, documenting his life and legal career as attorney and judge in western North Carolina.
- ↑ "The Ballad of Kidder Cole by Felix Eugene Alley · The Mountain Music of Highlands · Mountain Music presented by the Highlands Historical Society". mountainmusic.highlandshistory.com. Retrieved 2026-04-08.
- ↑ Alley, Felix Eugene (1941). Random thoughts and the musings of a mountaineer. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Salisbury, N.C. : Printed by Rowan printing Co.
- ↑ "North Carolina Biennial Report [1932–1934]". North Carolina Digital Collections. Retrieved 7 April 2026.
State government publication covering the period just prior to Felix E. Alley's appointment as Superior Court judge, providing context for official state offices and government structure.