BEN DOUGLAS

The One That Got Away

(From The Centennial History of Loray Baptist Curch, Gastonia, North Carolina: Lighting the Way for One Hundred Years by Timothy Craig Ellis, published for The Centennial Committee of Loray Baptist Church by Trenton Creative Enterprises, 2005.)

       An interesting footnote to these early days in the original church building was supplied by L. J. Waldrop in his 1954 Sketch History. Waldrop was, for a time, Sunday School teacher for a class of twelve-year-old boys and wrote that one of his happiest days in Christian service was when 12 of the 13 members of his class made professions of faith and joined the church. He lamented, however, that “one got away and joined the Presbyterian Church.” But, in continuing, he said the boy turned out okay. His name was Ben Douglas. 

       Ben Douglas was born in Iredell County, the son of a country doctor. His family moved to Gaston County, first to the Mountain Island area and then to the Loray Mill community, when he was a boy. His father served as the mill doctor until he died in 1905. Ben was forced to leave school and go to work in the mill, but he eventually did complete high school. He once said, “If a man can read and write, he can educate himself.”

He served as a first lieutenant in a machine-gun battalion during World War I, and then he returned to Gastonia.

       In his mid twenties, he became associated with the establishment of Charles Ford, funeral director, located in the old Sloan home at the corner of York and Franklin. Shortly after the company moved across the street to occupy the old Long residence (Franklin Avenue had been lined with palatial homes of prominent citizens), Douglas moved to Charlotte in 1926 to open his own funeral service along with a Mr. Sing of the Steele Creek section. 

       After several years of operation, he entered the cleaning and furrier business, which is today the well-known and respected Douglas Furs. He defeated the incumbent in a runoff election for Mayor of Charlotte in 1935. He served three terms in that position, from 1935-1941. During World War II, he served as state director of civil defense. From1945-1949 he was a member of the N. C. Highway and Public Works Commission, and in 1953 he was appointed by Governor William Umstead to head the Department of Conservation and Development. 

       Charlotte Memorial Hospital(now Carolinas Medical Center), the Douglas Municipal Airport(now named Charlotte-Douglas International Airport—yes, he was that Douglas), Memorial Stadium, and many other civic improvements were made while he was mayor. He was a tireless booster of Charlotte.

In an interview with this writer on December 17, 1980, he said of his days at Loray, “I got a great deal of good out of the people at Loray. It was a fine church and had a fine pastor.” He spoke of “Jim Moose” (Rev. James D. Moose) as “a ball of fire.”

When asked about faith and its relationship to one’s life, he answered, “God draws a map for your life and expects you to carry it out. We can’t all be preachers, but we can do what He wants us to do.”

       Ben Douglas passed away July 27, 1981. He was a good man, a great leader, and, for a time, one of Loray Baptist Church’s own. 

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