Stephen D. Pool

Stephen Decatur Pool (1819 – December 21, 1901) was an American educator, newspaper editor, politician, and Confederate officer from North Carolina. He served as principal of Elizabeth City Academy, edited several newspapers including the New Bern Daily Journal of Commerce, and published the historical journal Our Living and Our Dead. During the Civil War he rose to colonel in the Confederate Army and later became North Carolina superintendent of public instruction (1875–1876), resigning amid financial controversy. He spent his later years in Louisiana and Mississippi.

Early life and education Stephen Decatur Pool was born in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, in 1819, the son of Joshua and Ann (Nancy) Lowry Pool. Though born into relative poverty, he later rose in social standing through his marriage to Caroline S. Lockwood, a wealthy heiress. Under the mentorship of Charles R. Kinney, a local attorney and banker, Pool studied law, though it remains uncertain whether he ever formally practiced.

Career Education career By September 1849, Pool had become principal of the Elizabeth City Academy, where his wife directed the Female Department. He demonstrated a strong commitment to education by opening a night school in 1850 for apprentices and working young men, offering instruction in basic subjects for a modest fee. The academy expanded in 1851 to include a military department led by a graduate of the Virginia Military Institute, eventually flourishing and relocating to a larger building. As the scandal grew, Pool attempted to defend himself in the press. The Daily News noted that reporters sought him for comment but initially failed to find him, as he was said to have left for Norfolk to arrange explanations. When Pool returned, he issued a card promising clarification and asked the public for "a suspension of judgment." Skeptical journalists questioned whether he had even left Raleigh at all, describing his explanations as evasive and urging him to "make a clean breast of it at once" for the sake of his friends and reputation. The controversy proved politically disastrous. Under mounting public criticism and accusations of defalcation, Pool resigned his office on June 30, 1876, effectively ending his political career in North Carolina. Then, governor Brodgen appointed John Pool to replace Stephen D.Pool.

Later years in Louisiana and Mississippi By 1877, Pool had moved to New Orleans, where his son, Stephen D. Pool Jr., was a well-regarded newspaper editor. He remained in the region for the rest of his life, later settling across Lake Pontchartrain in Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana, near the Mississippi border. He spent his later years engaged largely in farming. Pool died on December 21, 1901, in Osyka, Mississippi, where he was also buried.

Family tephen Decatur Pool and his wife, Caroline S. Lockwood, had eight children: James Harrell, John Lockwood, Henry Clay, Stephen D. Jr., Dora (or Theodora), Mary, Carlton F., and Caroline S.