John Henry Bias was an educator and a visionary. Born in 1879, he was the cofounder and second president of Elizabeth City State University.

In 1929 he and two partners, Charles Jenkins and Henry Hargraves, purchased 84 acres in what is now southern Duck, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Currituck Sound, for $2100. Despite protests from various parties that the land should not be sold to three black men, the sale went through. The Great Depression was in full swing and cash was king.

Still, prejudice ran deep. This was illustrated in a most heinous way one night in 1931. Henry Hargraves had built a house for himself on the oceanside and a club on the soundside. Both were destroyed by fires with mysterious causes.

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Hargraves soundside nightclub circa 1931 before the fire

In the 1970 and 1980s the heirs of John Bias began the design of Bias Shores.

Today, the community of Bias Shores contains 60 properties and still spans ocean to sound with amenities for the community such as a pool, tennis courts and a sounfront pier. Nearby, Charles Jenkins Lane in the community of Ocean Crest is named for one of the original partners. Several of the streets in Bias Shores are named for relatives of John Bias. In fact, some of his descendants still live there today!