Clarence Watson Meadows (February 11, 1904 – September 12, 1961) was the 22nd Governor of West Virginia from 1945 to 1949. He was the first governor of West Virginia to be born in the 20th century. Meadows was born and raised in Beckley. As a youth, he showed a passion for public speaking, and his parents attempted to direct him toward a career as a Baptist minister. However, Meadows was instead drawn toward the stage and, after receiving a degree from Washington and Lee University, he became active in his hometown's theater troupe. Meadows received a law degree from the University of Alabama in 1927 and subsequently entered into an active career in politics. In 1930, Meadows won in his first run for elective office, as he entered the West Virginia House of Delegates for a single term. He