Political Derby Stories: Gov. John Y Brown and the 1983 Derby Eve Gala
A dig through the archives shows former Gov. John Y. Brown could put on a Kentucky Derby eve party that even Bill Clinton was talking about a decade later. Brown, who served a term as Governor from 1979 to 1983, held the 1983 Derby Eve Gala in Frankfort that drew a cast of future presidents....
Archives: Nixon Corresponds with Louie Nunn in 1960
After losing the 1960 presidential election by one of the slimmest margins in presidential history Richard Nixon typed a letter to then Glasgow City Attorney Louie B. Nunn. Nunn, who would go on to become governor of Kentucky in 1967, was the Kentucky campaign manager for Nixon’s 1960 race. Nixon won Kentucky but lost the...
From the Archives: LBJ and Earle Clements Talk Medicare Bill Strategy in 1964
In June of 1964 President Lyndon Johnson had a lot on his hands, he was running for election and attempting multiple major legislative feats. LBJ was regularly conferring with former U.S. Senator Earle Clements, a Democrat from Kentucky, on his legislative agenda. In a phone recording between President Johnson and Clements, who served as majority...
Kentucky’s Multi-Year Feud to Add the State Capitol to the National Register of Historic Places
Call it a case of hidden history, starting back in 1971 a multi-year back-and-forth between Kentucky administrative staffers and Washington D.C. historians ensued all in an effort to add the Kentucky State Capitol building to the register of historic places. The latest step back in time started under Gov. Louie B. Nunn, elected in 1967...
From the Archives: LBJ talks with Gov. Breathitt in 1964 About Presidential Election
In early August of 1964 President Lyndon B. Johnson and Gov. Edward “Ned” Breathitt of Kentucky spoke about the upcoming presidential election and arrangements being made behind the scenes to ensure LBJ carried Kentucky’s delegates. The phone call, obtained by Kentucky Fried Politics via a National Archives search, discusses an informal survey from the Kentucky...