The First Gentleman? Eaves not sure about title

RALEIGH — North Carolina may soon have its first First Gentleman.

Bob Eaves, the husband of Gov.-elect Bev Perdue, isn’t sure what he’ll be called when his wife takes office next month as the state’s first female governor. But he does know he won’t be the First Dude, the title chosen by Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin’s husband.

Eaves told the News & Observer of Raleigh that he believes his role will develop during his wife’s tenure and could tap his corporate experience, he helped build a multimillion-dollar company, to help attract businesses to the state.

But he’s flexible: As a wedding gift, the former registered Republican became a registered Independent voter. Yet he stopped short of becoming a Democrat like his wife.

Eaves, 72, is a former executive of Globe Oil, the parent company of the Starvin Marvin convenience stores chain. He said his professional experience could enable him to be an ambassador and help recruit businesses to North Carolina, but he doesn’t want to elbow his way into his wife’s work.

“Whoever’s in charge of (the Department of Commerce), I’m not going to go to him and say, ’This is what I’d like to do,”’ said the former Naval officer. “But if he asks me to help, I want to help.”

His business partner, Gordon Cope, said Eaves carries a wealth of business knowledge and experience, which helps him establish a quick rapport with executives. It also could help as his wife faces what could be a billion-dollar state budget shortfall.

“He could squeeze a dollar out of a penny,” Cope said.

The couple has looked into how other husbands defined their roles as their wives served as governor. In Michigan, Daniel Mulhern hosts a radio show and wrote a book on leadership. In Kansas, former magistrate Gary Sebelius, who prefers First Dude, helped expand an amateur athletic competition in the state.

In North Carolina, Eaves is a devoted Tar Heels fan. He remains loyal to his alma mater, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the city where he and Perdue live. He led the fundraising effort for a veterans memorial on campus, endowed a professorship in education leadership in memory of his father, and served on the university’s board of visitors.

“Everybody has to find their own passion,” Perdue said when asked how her soft-spoken and relaxed husband would invest his time and energy. “I believe in my heart it’ll be around education because that’s where he’s spent so much time volunteering.”

Perdue also said her husband would be by her side when she meets with corporate leaders at the Governor’s Mansion.

But when asked what he most looked forward to after his wife takes office, Eaves said: The top-ranked Tar Heels winning a men’s national basketball championship.

The governor gets prime seats at the Smith Center, the university’s basketball venue, “but we pay for them,” Eaves quickly added.

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