Felix Eugene Alley (July 5, 1873 – January 5, 1957) 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.
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.
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,' 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, Random Thoughts and the Musings of a Mountaineer.
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).
References