Sessler Carlysle Isley (1912-1997)

From the Elon College Alumni News, February 1974.

  The cities of Asheboro and Burlington, North Carolina share the fact that both have elected two oddly named men to the mayoral chair, and after profiling both Chisholm Clark Cranford and Doctor Bulla McCrary of Asheboro, we remove to Burlington and Sessler Carlysle Isley, a two-term mayor of that city as well as a leading figure in the state rotary club. Coincidentally, Isley shares a common theme with Cranford and McCrary as he too was affiliated with the textile industry, serving as a manager for the Standard Hosiery Mills of Burlington. One of eleven children born to Joseph Albright and Estelle Elizabeth (Ingle) Isley, Sessler Carlysle Isley was born on March 10, 1912, in Alamance County. While his first name is certainly curious, most sources mentioning Isley denote him under the abbreviated name "S. Carlysle Isley".

   A graduate of the Burlington High School in the early 1930s, Isley studied at Duke University for a time before transferring to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he earned his A.B. degree. He married in June 1937 to Margaret Plonk (1913-2013), and the couple's six-decade union produced three children, Kay Ellen (1941-2006), Carlysle Scott, and Joseph Plonk Isley. 

  After graduating from the University of North Carolina Isley was employed by the Duke Power Company for a time, and in the 1940s took work with the Burlington Mills, where he was affiliated with its personnel department. In 1946 he joined the Standard Hosiery Mills Inc. of Burlington as its director of personnel and was still employed by that company at the time of his election as mayor. This period saw Isley first gain prominence through his work with Rotary International, being the secretary-treasurer of the rotary club in Burlington in 1949, and from 1966-67 held the presidency of Rotary District 7690, which comprised Alamance, Caswell, Chatham, Davie, Davidson, Forsyth, and Guilford, amongst other counties. 

  S. Carlysle Isley made his first foray into Burlington politics in March 1949 when he entered into the race for Burlington City Council. When the ballots were counted on election day, May 10th, it was Isley who polled the highest number of votes out of the candidates running, and with a total of 1,539 votes, "he was unanimously named to serve as mayor by other elected members of the Burlington city council."

From the Burlington Daily Times-News, March 15, 1949.

  Following his swearing-in ceremony, the Burlington Times-News profiled Isley as a "youthful, energetic, enthusiastic, intelligent Mayor" and that:

"There is no question about his fellow Council members confidence in his ability to counsel with them wisely in the interest of sound economy and community progress, working together for an efficient managment through the Manager employed to advise them and carry out in turn such directive as he receives from them."

  During Isley's first term the Ed Thomas Water Filtration Plant was completed and dedicated in 1950, relieving Burlington's "increased demand for water service." He won a second term as Burlington mayor in 1951, with his term concluding in 1953. After leaving office Isley joined another hosiery firm, the Kayser-Roth Hosiery Co., where he would serve as Vice President of Industrial and Public Relations for an indeterminate period. Named as Alamance County's Citizen of the Year for 1956, Ilsey remained prominent in Burlington civic affairs through the 1960s and 70s, holding the chairmanship of the city school board for nine years, serving as president of the Burlington Rotary Club, and was president of both the Burlington Chamber of Commerce and the local United Way chapter.
  In November 1973 S. Carlysle Isley undertook a career change, leaving the Kayser-Roth Hosiery Co. to accept the post of Director of Institutional Relations for Elon College, located in Elon, North Carolina. His nine-year tenure in this post saw Isley:

"Directly responsible for all external affairs of the college to include development, alumni and parent relations, community services, publications, and information services."

  Following his retirement from Elon College Isley was affiliated with Coldwell Banker as a realtor in Burlington, and in February of 1992 was named listings leader for "total units listed and total volume listed." He retired from Coldwell Banker in 1996 at age 84 and died one year later on April 12, 1997, one month after celebrating his 85th birthday. Sessler Carlysle Isley was survived by his children and wife Margaret, who died several months short of her 100th birthday in 2013. Both were interred at the Pine Hill Cemetery in Burlington.

From the Burlington Times-News, February 9, 1992.