Merle Holland Davis Umstead (July 11, 1901 – April 14, 1988) was an American educator, political hostess, and civic leader.
[4] While a student at Duke University in the mid-1920s, Umstead was hired by a prominent family in Durham to help care for their children.
[2] On September 5, 1929, she married the attorney William B. Umstead at Trinity United Methodist Church in Durham.
[2] She served as President of the Durham American Legion Auxiliary and as a Sunday school teacher at Trinity United Methodist Church.
[2] She and her husband moved into the Willard Hotel in Washington, D.C., which was a customary residence for members of the U.S. Congress and their spouses.
[2] While in Washington, she became active in society and often gave guided tours of the city to friends and constituents from North Carolina.
[2] Umstead and their daughter stayed behind to maintain their Durham residence while her husband returned to Washington, D.C.[1] In 1952, Umstead's husband was elected as the Governor of North Carolina and was inaugurated on January 7, 1953, at which time she became the First Lady of North Carolina.
[2] She was responsible for managing the governor's schedule and had most of her husband's meetings held at the North Carolina Executive Mansion.