Simeon S. Willis
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Simeon Slavens Willis (1 December 1879 - 2 April 1965) was a U.S. lawyer, judge and politician. He was governor of Kentucky from 1943–1947.
Simon S. Willis was born in Ohio, one of nine children and moved to Greenup County as a child. Willis took a teacher-training course in a local private school, and before age 20 was selected principal of Springsville (now known as South Portsmouth), Kentucky schools. In 1901, he was admitted to the bar and established a law practice in Ashland.
On December 31,1927, he was appointed judge of the Kentucky Court of Appeals by Governor Flem D. Sampson. He was elected to that same position, representing the court until 1933. Willis returned to his private practice. In 1943, he was elected Governor over the Democratic candidate, J. Lyter Donaldson. He was the only Republican elected governor for 20 years in either direction of his term.
During his term, five state tuberculosis hospitals, at London, Madisonville, Paris, Ashland and Glasgow were initiated and nearly 80 percent completed. He created a Commission on Negro Affairs and appointed the first African-American to the state Board of Education. He returned to his private practice in Ashland. During 1956-60 he served as a member of the Public Service Commission. Willis died on April 2,1965 and is buried in Frankfort, Kentucky.
| Preceded by Keen Johnson |
Governor of Kentucky 1943–1947 |
Succeeded by Earle C. Clements |
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This article about a Kentucky politician is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
| Governors of Kentucky |  |
|---|---|
| Shelby • Garrard • Greenup • Scott • Shelby • Madison • Slaughter • Adair • Desha • Metcalfe • J. Breathitt • J. Morehead • Clark • Wickliffe • Letcher • Owsley • Crittenden • Helm • Powell • C. Morehead • Magoffin • Robinson • Bramlette • Helm • Stevenson • Leslie • McCreary • Blackburn • Knott • Buckner • Brown • Bradley • Taylor • Goebel • Beckham • Willson • McCreary • Stanley • Black • Morrow • Fields • Sampson • Laffoon • Chandler • Johnson • Willis • Clements • Wetherby • Chandler • Combs • E. Breathitt • Nunn • Ford • Carroll • Brown Jr. • Collins • Wilkinson • Jones • Patton • Fletcher
Kentucky also had two Confederate Governors: George W. Johnson and Richard Hawes. |
