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 Gov. Edward T. Breathitt
Hopkinsville, Frankfort, and Lexington 1924-2003 Edward Thompson Breathitt Jr., a native of Hopkinsville, was elected governor of Kentucky in 1963. He cooperated with efforts to pass a state public accommodations law, but the initial attempt failed. Breathitt then set about rallying support from governors throughout the United States, contributing to the passage of the national Civil Rights Act in 1964, and was appointed by President Lyndon Johnson to the Presidential Commission To Fulfill the Rights. Back home, he signed the Kentucky Civil Rights Act into law in 1966. Born in 1924, Breathitt became aware of racial inequities in the criminal justice system as a young attorney. Those experiences, plus an opportunity to draft a plan to facilitate school integration in Christian County, placed him in a unique position to contribute to the civil rights movement at both the state and national levels. Breathitt returned to private law practice after his gubernatorial term and continued to serve the causes of justice and education through leadership in several community organizations (including KET). He died on October 14, 2003. Living the Story > Biographies > Edward T. Breathitt
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