Allen Barbee

{{short description|American politician (1912–2004)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}

File:Allen C. Barbee.jpg

Allen Cromwell Barbee (December 18, 1912 – February 11, 2004) was an American politician.{{cite web | url=https://archive.org/details/northcarolinaman1985nort/page/372/mode/2up | title=North Carolina manual [serial] | date=1916 }}

Barbee was one of eight children born to John Lucian Barbee and Deborah Vester Barbee. He graduated from Spring Hope High School in Spring Hope, North Carolina and received a football scholarship to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Barbee founded the local newspaper, the Spring Hope Enterprise in 1947.{{cite news |title=Mabel M. Dixon Barbee |url=http://she.stparchive.com/Archive/SHE/SHE06232011p02.php |access-date=23 April 2022 |work=Spring Hope Enterprise |date=23 June 2011}} [https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/rockymounttelegram/name/mabel-barbee-obituary?id=23130888 Alternate URL]{{cite news |title=The Enterprise returning to its original office |url=https://restorationnewsmedia.com/enterprise/news/the-enterprise-returning-to-its-original-office |access-date=23 April 2022 |work=Spring Hope Enterprise |date=17 May 2021}} Politically, Barbee was affiliated with the Democratic Party. He was active in municipal politics for nine years as a member of the Spring Hope Town Board and mayor of the town. He won his first election to the North Carolina House of Representatives in November 1960, and left the office to contest the Democratic nomination for the 1972 North Carolina lieutenant gubernatorial election, which went to Jim Hunt. Barbee returned to the state house after winning the 1974 state legislative elections, and served continuously through 1987, when he was defeated by Roy Cooper in the Democratic primary.{{cite news| title = Roy Cooper III| newspaper = The Charlotte Observer| page = 10A| date = January 3, 1988|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/120998289/the-charlotte-observer/}} He died on 11 February 2004, at the age of 93.{{cite news |title=Allen Cromwell Barbee |url=https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/newsobserver/name/allen-barbee-obituary?pid=85823721 |access-date=23 April 2022 |work=The News & Observer |date=13 February 2004}}