Martha Wilkinson
Martha Wilkinson | |
|---|---|
| First Lady of Kentucky | |
| In role December 8, 1987 – December 10, 1991 | |
| Governor | Wallace Wilkinson |
| Preceded by | Bill Collins |
| Succeeded by | Libby Jones |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Martha Carol Stafford August 28, 1941 Wallace G. Wilkinson (1960–2002; his death) |
Martha Carol Wilkinson (née Stafford; August 28, 1941 – May 7, 2014) was an American businesswoman and politician. She served as the
In 1960, she married Wallace G. Wilkinson and together they started the Kentucky Paperback Gallery in 1963 which later became Wallace's College Book Company. Martha Wilkinson was business manager of the Wilkinson Farms.[citation needed]
The gown Wilkinson wore at her husband's inauguration was a gift from her sister, Catherine Rubards. She wore it with a gold, ruby and diamond necklace given to her by Governor Wilkinson.[citation needed]
Martha Wilkinson created "Martha's Army" to fight adult illiteracy.[2] Wilkinson's group used techniques such as a telephone hotline, (800)-GED-ARMY, and financial incentives to encourage Kentucky high school dropouts to earn a General Educational Development (GED) certificate.[citation needed] In 1990, country-music singer Waylon Jennings, who dropped out of school in the 10th grade, earned a GED through Martha's Army.[3]
In 1991, when her husband was
References
- ^ a b B. Drummond Ayres Jr. (May 30, 1991). "Even Winners Worry at Kentucky's Weak Vote". The New York Times. Retrieved December 14, 2010.
- ISBN 0-7432-5447-3. Retrieved December 14, 2010.
- ^ "Waylon Jennings Revels in GED". Los Angeles Times. January 29, 1990. Retrieved December 14, 2010.