John M. Belk
John Montgomery Belk (March 29, 1920 – August 17, 2007) was an American businessman who led the Belk department store chain. A Democrat, he served as the mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina, for four terms from 1969 to 1977.
Belk was the son of William Henry Belk, who opened the first Belk store in Monroe, North Carolina, in 1888. Before becoming mayor, he worked on the staff of Mayor Stan Brookshire as the President of the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce.
When Belk won a fourth term, he tied Brookshire for the most terms as Charlotte’s mayor, and a later change in state law extended his term by about six months. The John Belk Freeway, part of Interstate 277, is named after him and connects to the Brookshire Freeway.
Davidson College named him a longtime trustee, and the college’s sports arena is called John M. Belk Arena in his honor. He was married to Claudia Watkins from 1971 until his death. Belk died in 2007 at age 87.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 01:05 (CET).