William Rogers Young was born on December 10, 1882, in Cary, North Carolina. Young was foreman of the Tallassee Power Company carbon plant in Badin, North Carolina, around 1920. In a 1919 investigation into alleged mistreatment of Tallassee employees by their supervisors, Young was accused of "beating employees." He died in Albemarle, North Carolina on April 25, 1963.