Wallace G. Wilkinson

Wallace Glenn Wilkinson (born December 12, 1941 in Casey County , Kentucky , † July 5, 2002 in Lexington , Kentucky) was an American politician and governor of the state of Kentucky.

Early years and political advancement

Wilkinson attended Liberty High School , which he graduated in 1959. This was followed by studies at the University of Kentucky . While still a student, he and his wife Martha founded the “Kentucky Paperback Gallery” in Lexington. It was initially a small bookstore, which very soon developed into a large library with branches in many states in the United States. Over the years, Wilkinson expanded his business interests into export and import trading, real estate, agriculture, banking, and construction.

Kentucky governor

In 1987 , Wilkinson applied as an unknown outsider to the Democratic Party for the nomination for governor of Kentucky. He had to prevail within his party against the former governors Julian Carroll and John Y. Brown . He then won the actual election sovereignly against the Republican John R. Harper with 64.9% to 35.1% of the vote. One focus of his tenure, which began on December 8, 1987, was education. It was then that the Kentucky Education Act was passed to improve the education system. At the same time, a state lottery was introduced, the proceeds of which were also used for education. The governor promoted rural economic development. He campaigned against alcohol and drug abuse and advocated environmental protection. Wilkinson was also a member of several joint Southern States committees discussing common political and economic interests. A proposed constitutional amendment for Kentucky was rejected by the House of Representatives . The reason was the governor's tenure. His proposal would have allowed a governor to have two consecutive terms, which would have received MPs approval, but Wilkinson insisted that this clause should apply to him right away. The Chamber refused. When the next election was due, his wife Martha tried to win a nomination for the party. This attempt failed in the primaries.

This behavior of the Wilkinsons is also related to strong differences with his Lieutenant- Governor Brereton Jones . The two men had a very bad personal relationship and Wilkinson wanted to prevent a possible election victory for Jones by a second term for himself or through his wife. His tenure ended on December 10, 1991, and his old opponent Jones was sworn in as his successor.

Another résumé

Since the early 1990s, Wilkinson had both health and financial problems. As early as March 1991, he was diagnosed with lymph node disease. His formerly thriving businesses, including the library, went bankrupt and Wilkinson was on the verge of bankruptcy. His health deteriorated noticeably. He finally died on July 5, 2002. He had two children with his wife Martha.

Web links

• Wallace Wilkinson in the National Governors Association (English)