Julian Carroll
Julian Carroll | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Member of the Kentucky Senate from the 7th district | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In office January 1, 2005 – January 1, 2021 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | Lindy Casebier (redistricting) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Succeeded by | Adrienne Southworth | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
54th Governor of Kentucky | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In office December 28, 1974 – December 11, 1979 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Lieutenant | Thelma Stovall | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | Wendell Ford | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Succeeded by | John Y. Brown Jr. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
46th Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In office December 7, 1971 – December 28, 1974 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Governor | Wendell Ford | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | Wendell Ford | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Succeeded by | Thelma Stovall | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Member of the Kentucky House of Representatives | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In office January 1, 1962 – December 7, 1971 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | James Miles | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Succeeded by | Fred Morgan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Constituency | 4th district (1962–1964) 3rd district (1964–1971) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | Julian Morton Carroll April 16, 1931 West Paducah, Kentucky, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Died | December 10, 2023 Frankfort, Kentucky, U.S. | (aged 92)||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Political party | Democratic | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Spouse |
Charlann Harting
(m. 1951; died 2014) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Children | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Education |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Military service | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Allegiance | United States | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Branch/service | Air Force | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Julian Morton Carroll (April 16, 1931 – December 10, 2023) was an American lawyer and politician from the state of
After graduating from the
As governor, Carroll increased funding for public education and promoted the use of coal as a means of alleviating the
Early life
Julian Carroll was born in West Paducah in McCracken County, Kentucky.[1] He was the third of eleven children born to Elvie B. "Buster" and Eva (Heady) Carroll.[2] His father was a tenant farmer, but shortly after the Ohio River flood of 1937, the family moved to Heath in McCracken County, where Buster Carroll sold tractor implements and in 1940 opened an automobile repair shop.[2] Through his early teenage years, Carroll lived with his grandparents to help care for an ailing grandfather.[3]
In 1949, Carroll was selected to represent Heath High School at Kentucky Boys State, a week-long civic affairs summer camp for high school seniors-to-be.[4] Participants in the camp create a miniature state government based on their state's actual government.[4] At the camp, Carroll was elected governor of the miniature government.[5] The following year, he graduated as salutatorian and student body president of Heath High School.[6]
Carroll began dating Charlann Harting near the end of 1950.
Carroll earned an
While in college, Carroll had received training through the
In January 1960, a group of local businessmen approached Carroll about leading a campaign to allow the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to provide electricity to McCracken County. It was proposed that the TVA could provide electricity at a much lower cost, but voters would first have to hold a public referendum on buying out Kentucky Utilities, the private power provider in the area. Carroll agreed to lead the campaign, and nine months later, voters approved the buyout by a three-to-one margin.[15]
Political career
State legislature
The TVA campaign had put Carroll squarely in the public eye in McCracken County, and in 1962, he was elected to the first of five consecutive terms representing the county in the
Lieutenant governor
Carroll had considered running for the
Seven other Democratic candidates for lieutenant governor entered the race, the most formidable being sitting
Governor of Kentucky
Governor Ford's allies encouraged Carroll to run for the U.S. Senate in 1974, but Carroll had already set his sights on the governorship.[14] Instead, Ford ran for and won the Senate seat, and Carroll succeeded him as governor.[1] In 1975, he sought a full term in office and won the Democratic gubernatorial nomination in a four-way primary against Jefferson County Judge Todd Hollenbach, former state Auditor Mary Louise Foust, and Robert McCreary Johnson.[10]
In the general election, Carroll faced Republican
With considerable experience in the General Assembly – first as speaker of the House, and later presiding over the Senate as lieutenant governor – Carroll exercised a great deal of control over the proceedings of the legislature.[24] One observer quipped "A cockroach couldn't crawl across the Senate floor without an OK from the governor stamped on his back."[24] His reaction to criticism was often severe, prompting his political enemies to derisively refer to him as "Emperor Julian."[24] During the final year of Carroll's term, Lt. Gov. Stovall, who was left as acting governor when Carroll had left the state on business, called a special session of the legislature to enact a tax cut that Carroll opposed but later endorsed.[11] The General Assembly passed the tax cut and began asserting its independence, especially in the Senate, which especially resented Carroll's tight control of previous sessions.[26]
Carroll was charged with implementing an amendment to the state constitution approved by voters in 1975 to drastically reorganize the state's judicial system.
Improvements in public schools were the hallmark of Carroll's term.[11] Using money from a coal severance tax enacted by Ford's administration and increased revenue from an improving economy, Carroll increased teacher salaries and eliminated fees for required classes.[27] He strengthened the Minimum Foundation Program and provided free textbooks.[11] A School Building Authority was also created to help poor school districts construct new buildings.[27] Vocational and special education were expanded, and a program for gifted and talented students was piloted.[27] Consequently, Kentucky improved in most national educational benchmarks, including moving from 46th to 38th nationally in teacher salaries.[11]
Higher education did not fare as well under Carroll. He cut the proposed budget for the state's
As governor of what was the leading coal-producing state in the nation, Carroll advocated the use of coal to alleviate the
Carroll served as chairman of the National Governors Association in 1978.[1] He chaired the association's Natural Resources and Environmental Management Committee.[6] He also served as the state's co-chairman of the Appalachian Regional Commission.[10] He received honorary degrees from the University of Kentucky, Morehead State University, Murray State University, and Eastern Kentucky University in Kentucky, and from Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tennessee.[6] He was named to the University of Kentucky Alumni Association's Hall of Distinguished Alumni in 1975.[6]
Carroll's tenure was plagued by disasters, both natural and man-made. Record flooding struck in the eastern part of the state in April 1977, and in December 1978, flooding the worst since 1937 occurred in the state capital of Frankfort. In the former case, he declared ten eastern Kentucky counties as disaster areas.[28][29][30] Extreme cold gripped the entire state in 1977 and 1978, including the Great Blizzard of 1978.[28] Two mine explosions in Letcher County killed 26 people, and the Beverly Hills Supper Club fire claimed 165 lives.[28] Many of these disasters led to stricter enforcement of safety laws.[28] Carroll formed the Department of Housing, Buildings, and Construction and strengthened the state fire marshal's office.[28]
In September 1978, at a tribute ceremony for
Carroll's credibility took a severe hit as a result of an investigation into an alleged insurance kickback scheme during the Ford administration and carrying on into his administration.[26] When called before a grand jury in 1980, Carroll invoked the Fifth Amendment.[26] He was not convicted of any wrongdoing, but his first state Democratic Party chairman, Howard P. "Sonny" Hunt, was after refusing to cooperate with the investigation.[26] The probe also hurt commerce commissioner Terry McBrayer, Carroll's choice for governor in 1979.[26] McBrayer finished third out of five candidates in the Democratic primary that year, won by late entry John Y. Brown Jr.[26]
Later political career
After concluding his service as governor, Carroll resumed his law practice in
State Senate
In 2004, Carroll was elected to the Kentucky Senate from District 7, defeating Harold Fletcher – the older brother of then-governor
Carroll was re-elected without opposition in 2008. In advance of the 2011 legislative session, he unsuccessfully ran for the open position of Senate Democratic
Controversies
On July 22, 2017, Spectrum News reported allegations by a male photographer that Carroll had groped him and propositioned him for sex in 2005.[41] The following day, the Senate Democratic caucus voted to remove Carroll from his position as caucus whip and called on him to resign his seat immediately after hearing an audio recording allegedly containing Carroll's proposition to the man.[41] On July 27, Carroll announced that he would not resign.[42]
Carroll announced shortly after his 88th birthday that he would not run for re-election in 2020 and was endorsing State Representative Joe Graviss to succeed him.[43] His term expired December 31, 2020.[41]
Death
Carroll died at a medical center in Frankfort, Kentucky, on December 10, 2023, at age 92.[44] He had spent his final months in hospice care in Frankfort.[45] In a statement following his death, Governor Andy Beshear said that Carroll "dedicated his career to public service" and that "for decades he worked to support public education and those he represented in Frankfort".[45] He would lie in state in Kentucky State Capitol's rotunda in Frankfort on December 15.[46][47] His memorial service would be held in the rotunda the same day as well, with his family and numerous Kentucky state officials delivering remarks.[48][47][49][46] On December 16, 2023, Carroll's funeral would be held at Elevate Church in Frankfort, and he would then be buried at Frankfort Cemetery.[50][48][47]
References
- ^ a b c d "Kentucky Governor Julian Morton Carroll". National Governors Association
- ^ a b Conn, p. 47
- ^ Conn, p. 50
- ^ a b Conn, p. 59
- ^ Conn, p. 62
- ^ a b c d e f g "Julian Morton Carroll". Hall of Distinguished Alumni
- ^ a b Conn, p. 66
- ^ Brammer, Jack (September 10, 2014). "Charlann Harting Carroll, Wife of Former Gov. Julian Carroll, Dies at Age 81". Lexington Herald-Leader. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
- ^ Conn, p. 67
- ^ a b c d e Powell, p. 112
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Harrison in The Kentucky Encyclopedia, p. 165
- ^ Conn, p. 78
- ^ a b Conn, p. 83
- ^ a b c d e f Sprague, p. 217
- ^ Conn, pp. 90–91
- ^ Conn, p. 101
- ^ Conn, pp. 98–101
- ^ Conn, p. 103
- ^ Conn, p. 104
- ^ Conn, pp. 104–105
- ^ a b c Conn, p. 112
- ^ Conn, pp. 112–113
- ^ a b Conn, p. 113
- ^ a b c d e f g h Harrison in A New History of Kentucky, p. 416
- ^ Conn, p. 19
- ^ a b c d e f g h Sprague, p. 220
- ^ a b c d e Sprague, p. 218
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Sprague, p. 219
- newspapers.com.
- newspapers.com.
- newspapers.com.
- ^ Harrison in A New History of Kentucky, p. 420
- ^ Kocher, p. A1
- ^ Biesk, "Ex-Gov. Carroll wins Frankfort seat"
- ^ "Senate District 7". Archived from the original on June 5, 2017. Retrieved April 27, 2010.
- ^ a b "Senator Julian Carroll Says Lieutenant Governor Should Resign". WKYT
- ^ "Why Deep-Red Kentucky Reelected Its Democratic Governor". MSN. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
- ^ a b Brammer and Cheves, "Contentious first day for legislature"
- ^ Cheves, "Republicans maintain commanding majority in state Senate"
- ^ "Kentucky 7th District State Senate Results: Julian Carroll Wins". The New York Times. August 2017. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
- ^ a b c Brammer, Jack (July 24, 2017). "Democrats waiting on word from Julian Carroll after calling for him to resign". Lexington Herald-Leader. Retrieved July 24, 2017.
- ^ Tom Loftus (July 27, 2017). "Sen. Julian Carroll tells reporters he won't resign". EU Courier Journal. Retrieved November 9, 2019.
- ^ "DJulian Carroll won't seek re-election to state Senate, endorses Graviss". Forward Kentucky. April 18, 2019. Retrieved November 9, 2019.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Former Kentucky Governor Julian Carroll dies at 92". WKYT. December 10, 2023. Retrieved December 10, 2023.
- ^ a b "Former KY Gov. Julian Carroll, who oversaw better school funding and court reforms, has died". Yahoo. December 10, 2023. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
- ^ a b Johnson, Stu (December 15, 2023). "Ky Governor Julian Carroll remembered for his long tenure in state government". WEKU. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
- ^ a b c Umbro, Jessica (December 15, 2023). "Mourners pay respects as fmr. Gov. Julian Carroll lies in state". WKYT. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
- ^ a b Brooks, Bode (December 15, 2023). "Gov. Julian Carroll remembered as lifelong public servant". Fox 56. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
- ^ Goodman, Danielle (December 15, 2023). "Memorial service held in Frankfort for former Kentucky Gov. Julian Carroll". WLKY. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
- ^ James, Josh (December 15, 2023). "Family, friends, colleagues, and admirers of former Kentucky Gov. Julian Carroll gathered in the Capitol Rotunda Friday to pay tribute to the late Democratic leader". WUKY. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
Bibliography
- Biesk, Joe (November 3, 2004). "Ex-Gov. Carroll wins Frankfort seat". The Enquirer. Retrieved January 4, 2010.
- Brammer, Jack; John Cheves (January 5, 2011). "Contentious first day for legislature". Lexington Herald-Leader.
- Cheves, John (November 6, 2012). "Republicans maintain commanding majority in state Senate". Lexington Herald-Leader. Archived from the original on August 10, 2014. Retrieved November 7, 2012.
- Conn, Charles Paul (1977). Julian Carroll of Kentucky: the inside story of a Christian in public life. Old Tappan, New Jersey: Fleming H. Revell Company. ISBN 0-8007-0838-5.
- ISBN 0-8131-1772-0. Archived from the originalon October 18, 2015. Retrieved January 2, 2010.
- ISBN 0-8131-2008-X. Retrieved June 26, 2009.
- "Julian Morton Carroll". Hall of Distinguished Alumni. University of Kentucky Alumni Association. Archived from the original on July 16, 2011. Retrieved January 4, 2010.
- "Kentucky Governor Julian Morton Carroll". National Governors Association. Retrieved April 3, 2012.
- Kocher, Greg (September 16, 2003). "Parkway to be Named for Collins – Road is Fifth, and Last, to Honor a Living Former Governor". Lexington Herald Leader.
- Powell, Robert A. (1976). Kentucky Governors. Danville, Kentucky: Bluegrass Printing Company. OCLC 2690774.
- "Senator Julian Carroll Says Lieutenant Governor Should Resign". WKYT. March 2, 2007. Archived from the original on September 28, 2011. Retrieved January 4, 2010.
- Sprague, Stuart Seely; Al Cross (2004). "Julian Morton Carroll". In Lowell Hayes Harrison (ed.). Kentucky's Governors. Lexington, Kentucky: The University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 0-8131-2326-7.
External links
- Website of State Senator Julian Carroll Archived June 5, 2017, at the Wayback Machine