Samuel Thomas Rhodes, who generally went by “Tommy,” represented New Hanover County in the state House of Representatives from 1973 to 1984. A Republican, Rhodes served as state secretary of natural resources and community development from 1985 to 1988 under Gov. Jim Martin.
A Wilmington native and a 1962 graduate of New Hanover High School, Rhodes graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and also earned a master’s degree from Auburn University. He also did graduate work at N.C. State University in Raleigh. From 1969 to 1980, he taught marine science at Cape Fear Technical Institute (now Cape Fear Community College), then worked for several years as a broker with the E.F. Hutton office in Wilmington.
The S. Thomas Rhodes Bridge is on U.S. 421 just north of the Battleship North Carolina Memorial.
Date posted: November 18, 2009
User-contributed question by:
Wayne Killian
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