Colonel (title)

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The title colonel is conferred as an honor by some southern states in the United States of America. The origins of the southern colonelcy can be traced back to colonial and antebellum times when plantation masters were given the title for financing the local militia without actual expectations of command. This practice can actually be traced back to the English Renaissance when a colonelcy was purchased by a lord or prominent gentleman but the actual command would fall to a lieutenant colonel, who would deputise for the proprietor.

Therefore there is an aristocratic demeanor to the social usage of the title “colonel". This usage today designates the southern gentleman, and is archetypal of the postbellum southern aristocrat. States conferring this title as an honor include Kentucky, Tennessee, South Carolina,Georgia, Louisiana, North Dakota, and Alabama. Many states have provisions in their articles or bills concerning state defense forces which allow the governor to grant honorary membership of the officer ranks.

While the colonel of this usage has no military role it must be remembered that the title evolved from a military role. Furthermore one may consider this honor to be on par with its military counterpart. The governor has the authority to commission officers of both the State Guards and the National Guards, of which the National Guards are a part of the nation's military. Therefore the source and authority for creating the title comes from a military authority.

The highest honor of Tennessee is “Colonel, Aide de campe, governor’s staff". Those who receive this award are recorded by the secretary of state with those who have been commissioned into the State Guard and Tennessee National Guard. It is therefore clear that this award is considered equivalent to actual military commissions. Kentucky’s famous colonelcy evolved from the personal bodyguards of the governor and now confers its recipients as honorary members of the governor’s staff. Georgia’s honorary titles give its members a rank in the state police while the Alabama honor specifically makes one a lieutenant colonel in the state militia.

The Colonel is also often a shorthand reference to Colonel Sanders, the founder of KFC, who was an honorary Kentucky colonel.

Another famous "colonel" was "Colonel Tom Parker", the manager of Elvis Presley whose title was granted by Jimmie Davis, the governor of Louisiana.