Simeon S. Willis

Simeon Slavens Willis (born December 1, 1879 in Aid Township , Lawrence County , Ohio , † April 2, 1965 in Frankfort , Kentucky ) was an American politician and governor of the state of Kentucky.

Early years and advancement

Willis attended public schools in his homeland in Ohio and, after moving, Kentucky. There he also completed courses for prospective teachers. There followed a short time as a teacher and studied law. In 1901, Willis was admitted to the bar. He then opened a law firm in Ashland . From 1918 he worked in the public service, so he was an advisory lawyer for the city of Ashland until 1922. Between 1922 and 1928 he worked for the bar association and from 1928 to 1933 he was a judge at an appeals court. In the following ten years, he returned to his private law firm. As a member of the Republican Party , he was nominated for gubernatorial elections in 1943 and then elected the new governor of Kentucky with 50.5% of the vote against his Democratic opponent J. Lyter Donaldson (48.9%). His lead in absolute votes was less than 9,000.

Kentucky governor

His term of office began on December 7, 1943 and ended on December 9, 1947. During this time, the Second World War came to an end. On this occasion, the governor set up a commission to draw up plans for the post-war period and the transition to peacetime. Another new commission dealt exclusively with the problems of the black population. During his time, an African American was appointed to the Ministry of Education for the first time . The school system for whites and blacks has been improved and the school year has been extended. It was funded by allowing counties to double the school tax. In the health care sector, five new hospitals were built to fight tuberculosis . The governor also saw Kentucky abolish most of the state-levied bridge fees. Finally, the existing anti-corruption law was expanded and the state parks expanded.

After his tenure in December 1947, Willis returned to practice as a lawyer. Between 1956 and 1960 he was a member of the pardon committee. He died on April 2, 1965. Simeon Willis was married to Ida Lee Willis and the couple had one child.

Web links

• Simeon Willis in the National Governors Association (English)
• Simeon S. Willis in the database of Find a Grave (English)