20 Facts About Cass Ballenger

Thomas Cass Ballenger was an American politician.

Cass Ballenger was the founder and former chairman of the board of Plastic Packaging, Inc.

Cass Ballenger served in the North Carolina Senate, the North Carolina House of Representatives and on the Catawba County Board of Commissioners.

In 38 consecutive years in elective office, serving at the local, state and federal levels, Cass Ballenger never lost an election.

Cass Ballenger was a member of the Republican leadership in the US House of Representatives, serving as a deputy whip and as a member of the House Steering Committee.

Cass Ballenger was a member of the board of directors of the National Council on the Arts.

Cass Ballenger served on the Committee on Education and the Workforce and as Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Workforce Protections.

Cass Ballenger secured major funding for the completion of US321 between Hickory and Gastonia, and established the Future Forward Economic Alliance, a regional economic development initiative serving 11 counties in western North Carolina.

Cass Ballenger served on the International Relations Committee and as Chairman of the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee, where he worked to promote democracy and human rights, fight poverty and improve relations with developing countries in Central and South America.

Cass Ballenger prioritized constituent service in the US House of Representatives.

Cass Ballenger authored legislation, known as the Ridge Law, to protect scenic vistas in the North Carolina mountains.

Cass Ballenger was recognized as the Most Effective Republican Legislator by the North Carolina Institute of Government in 1981.

Cass Ballenger previously served as Chairman of the Catawba County Board of Commissioners and was recognized as North Carolina's County Commissioner of the Year in 1974.

Cass Ballenger was at one time Chairman of the Catawba County Republican Party and served on the Jim Martin for Governor Steering Committee; the North Carolina Reagan-Bush Campaign ; and was a co-founder and former chairman of the North Carolina Legislative Forum.

Cass Ballenger was active in many community organizations, including the Community Ridge Day Care Center in Hickory ; Greater Hickory United Fund ; Western Piedmont Council of Governments ; Greater Hickory Chamber of Commerce ; the North Carolina School of the Arts ; the North Carolina Symphony and the North Carolina Arts Society.

Cass Ballenger served on the board of development and board of directors at Lenoir-Rhyne College; the board of directors for the Salvation Army and the board of trustees for the Florence Crittenton Home.

Cass Ballenger served in the US Naval Air Corps during World War II.

Cass Ballenger volunteered as a lay reader for the Episcopal Diocese of Western North Carolina, traveling to lead services in parishes without rectors.

Cass Ballenger was a longtime active member of the Episcopal Church of the Ascension in Hickory.

Cass Ballenger retired in 2004 and was succeeded by one-term Republican state representative Patrick McHenry.