Edward T. Breathitt

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Edward Thompson "Ned" Breathitt Jr. (born November 26, 1924 in Hopkinsville , Christian County , Kentucky , † October 11, 2003 in Lexington , Kentucky) was an American politician and governor of the state of Kentucky.

Early years and political advancement

Edward Breathitt came from a family of politicians. The distantly related John Breathitt was governor of Kentucky from 1832 to 1834; his grandfather James Breathitt served as Attorney General of the state from 1907 to 1911 , his uncle James Breathitt Jr. from 1927 to 1932 as its lieutenant governor .

He studied law at the University of Kentucky . During the Second World War he was with the United States Army Air Forces for three years . He then finished his studies at the University of Kentucky and practiced law in Hopkinsville. Between 1952 and 1958 he was an MP in the Kentucky House of Representatives , and during the tenure of Governor Bert Combs he was a member of two government committees.

Kentucky governor

In 1963, Governor Combs was not allowed to run for direct re-election because the constitution prohibited two consecutive terms. Therefore Breathitt applied for this office. However, he had to deal within the party with the former governor Albert Chandler , who also applied for the nomination. Eventually Breathitt was able to prevail against him. The actual election against the Republican Louie Nunn was also very close. Breathitt won with 50.7% of the vote against Nunn's 49.3%. His tenure began on December 4, 1963 and ended four years later on December 12, 1967. It was during this period that both school radio and school television were introduced in Kentucky. A general Equal Employment Opportunity should ensure that all candidates are treated equally when they are hired in the civil service. In general, Breathitt was very committed to civil rights. At that time, a Department of Natural Resources was established to manage the country's mineral resources . Eventually, the governor encouraged both Kentucky industry and tourism.

Another résumé

After his tenure in December 1967 he worked as a lawyer. He also became the legal advisor to Southern Railway . In 1968 he became director of the Institute for Rural America , funded by the Ford Foundation . In the same year he also became a representative of the federal government in a commission of the southern states, which dealt with nuclear issues ( Southern Interstate Nuclear Board ). Edward Breathitt died on October 11, 2003. He was married to Lucy Alexander, with whom he had four children.

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