Robert Gregg Cherry (17 October 1891 -- 25 June 1957) was the Democratic governor of the state of North Carolina from 1945 to 1949. A veteran of World War I and former mayor of Gastonia, North Carolina, Cherry inherited an economy facing material and labor shortages as a result of the ongoing Second World War. One of his primary focuses during his term was the improvement of mental health care at state-run facilities.