Locke Craig was born on August 16, 1860, in Bertie County, North Carolina. He served as a state legislator and later Governor of North Carolina, his administration running from 1913 to 1917. In the late 1890s, he helped launch and lead the white supremacy campaign to dismantle the Fusionist government. Craig died in Asheville (Buncombe County) on June 9, 1924.