'''Henry E. Frye''' is an American judge and politician who concluded his public-service career as the first African-American chief justice of the North_Carolina_Supreme_Court. He was born August 1, 1932 in Richmond_County,_North_Carolina. After graduating with honors from North_Carolina_A&T;_State_University, Frye reached the rank of captain in the United_States_Air_Force, serving in Korea and Japan. Upon returning to North Carolina, Frye was inspired to become a lawyer when he was denied the ability to register to vote by so-called "literacy" tests. http://www.nccbi.org/NCMagazine/1999/mag-09-99editorial.htm He went on to become the first African-American to complete a full Law degree from the University_of_North_Carolina_at_Chapel_Hill. When Frye was elected to the North_Carolina_General_Assembly as a state representative in 1968, he was the only black North Carolina legislator, and the first elected in the 20th century. Frye helped eliminate the vestiges of Jim_Crow from North Carolina law http://www.nccbi.org/NCMagazine/1999/mag-09-99editorial.htm. He was re-elected several times to the state House, serving until 1980, and served one term in the state Senate from 1981 to 1982. During this time, he was also an instructor at North_Carolina_Central_University's law school. In 1983, Governor Jim_Hunt appointed Frye to the North_Carolina_Supreme_Court as an associate justice, the first African-American to hold that position in North Carolina history. Elected in 1984 to the court and re-elected in 1992, Jim Hunt appointed Frye to the state's highest judicial post, chief justice, in 1999 to replace the retiring Burley_Mitchell. He was defeated for election to a full term in 2000 by Associate Justice I._Beverly_Lake. Frye currently practices law with Brooks, Pierce, McLendon, Humphrey & Leonard in Greensboro, North Carolina. {{ start box }} {{succession box | before = Burley_Mitchell | title = Chief Justice of the North_Carolina_Supreme_Court | years = 1999 - 2001 | after = I. Beverly Lake, Jr.}} {{ end box }} Frye, Henry Frye, Henry Frye, Henry Frye, Henry Frye, Henry Frye, Henry