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Local figure

Robert Varley

Robert Varley was a Chapel Hill clothing merchant who in 1938 opened a men's store on East Franklin Street. He later served on the town's Board of Aldermen. In June 1967 he was one of two aldermen who voted against a fair housing resolution, and in April 1968, described as one of the board's two conservatives, he voted against the open housing ordinance on its first reading.

Source: The Daily Tar Heel, April 28, 1968

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Life and Orange County connections

Dated events connected with this person, in date order. See these 4 dated events in the chronology →

  1. Robert Varley opens a men's clothing store on East Franklin Street Varley's store took the space of Alfred Williams's stationery on the south side of the street. People: Robert Varley Place: Varley's men's store, south side of East Franklin Street, Chapel HillSearch the index · Bernard Lee Bryant Jr., Occupants and Structures of Franklin Street, Chapel Hill (1998; Chapel Hill Historical Society, 1999), scan p. 255
  2. Chapel Hill aldermen adopt a fair housing resolution By a 4-2 vote the Board of Aldermen adopted a resolution supporting equal opportunity to buy or rent housing in any part of town 'without regard to race,' while also upholding owners' right to dispose of property. The Chapel Hill-Carrboro Fair Housing Council had asked for it in a petition of nearly 200 names on June 14; Aldermen Gordon Kage and Robert Varley voted no. People: Sandy McClamroch, Robert Varley Place: Board of Aldermen, Chapel Hill · Also named: Gordon KageThe Daily Tar Heel, June 30, 1967, p. 1
  3. Chapel Hill aldermen vote 3 to 2 for an open housing ordinance, short of the margin to pass on first reading Weeks after the killing of Martin Luther King Jr. and a petition signed by about 2,200 people, the Board of Aldermen voted 3 to 2 for a local ban on discrimination in the sale or rental of housing. The margin fell short of the two-thirds needed to pass on first reading, so the measure was set for a second vote on May 13. People: Sandy McClamroch, R. D. Smith, W. David Ethridge, Robert Varley Place: Chapel Hill · Also named: Martin Luther King Jr.The Daily Tar Heel, April 28, 1968, p. 3 · Also: The Daily Tar Heel, April 24, 1968, p. 1
  4. Mayoral and aldermanic candidates answer questions at the Institute of Government Lee, Giduz and all seven candidates for the Board of Aldermen took questions at an open forum. Sharp exchanges came over a police review board, which Lee said he had never favored, and over whether the town should pay to cover the Mitchell Lane drain, on which Giduz cited county health tests and Steve Bernholz answered that 'the ditch stinks'. People: Howard N. Lee, Roland Giduz, Robert Varley, Ross Scroggs Place: Chapel Hill · Also named: Steve Bernholz · Also mentions: Mitchell LaneThe Daily Tar Heel, May 2, 1969, p. 1 (OCR text)

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Map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Site locations from the N.C. State Historic Preservation Office survey, Open Orange, Orange County GIS, OpenStreetMap and a few other published sources named on each site’s page; town and community pins show approximate locations.

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People named in the same events

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