Fred Cowan
Encyclopedia
Fred Cowan is a Kentucky
politician. He currently serves as a Kentucky Circuit Judge of the 30th judicial district in Louisville
. He is a former Kentucky Attorney General (1988-1992) and former member of the Kentucky State House of Representatives for the 32nd district (1982-1987). Cowan is one of the few Kentuckians who has been elected to all three branches if Kentuckian State Government.
Cowan was born on October 11, 1945 in New York, NY to Mary Virginia Wesley of Union County, KY, and Frederic Sr. of NY, NY. At age 8 he moved to Sturgis, KY and a year later moved to Louisville where he attended Bloom Elementary, Highland Middle, and Atherton High School. In 1967 Cowan graduated from Dartmouth College
and served in the Peace Corps
in Dessie, Ethiopia (1967-1969). While in Ethiopia, he taught English at Woizero Siheen High School and became fluent in Amharic.
Once he returned to the US, he taught 5th grade in North Carolina before moving to Little Rock, Arkansas where he was a copy editor at the Arkansas Democrat and then started a grassroots consumer organization. In Little Rock, he met and married Linda Marshall Scholle, granddaughter of Lenore Marshall
and great-granddaughter of Louis Marshall. Fred and Linda moved to Massachusetts for Fred to attend Harvard Law School
where he graduated in 1978.
Cowan moved to Louisville and worked for the Harvey Sloane for Governor of Kentucky in 1978-1979. After the unsuccessful campaign, Cowan practiced law with former Brown, Todd and Heyburn (Frost Brown Todd) and ran for State Representative, defeating a ten-term Republican incumbent. In 1987 he ran for Attorney General and defeated Todd Holelnbach in the Democratic primary. As Attorney General he successfully argued Stanford v. Kentucky
before the United States Supreme Court in 1989.
Before being elected Judge in 2006, he practiced law from 1992-2006 with Lynch, Cox, Gillman and Mayhan (now Lynch, Cox, Gillman and Goodman).
Cowan is the younger brother of author Roberta Bondi, older brother of History Detective Wesley Cowan
and first cousin of Kassie Wesley DePaiva
. He and Linda have three daughters.
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
politician. He currently serves as a Kentucky Circuit Judge of the 30th judicial district in Louisville
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
. He is a former Kentucky Attorney General (1988-1992) and former member of the Kentucky State House of Representatives for the 32nd district (1982-1987). Cowan is one of the few Kentuckians who has been elected to all three branches if Kentuckian State Government.
Cowan was born on October 11, 1945 in New York, NY to Mary Virginia Wesley of Union County, KY, and Frederic Sr. of NY, NY. At age 8 he moved to Sturgis, KY and a year later moved to Louisville where he attended Bloom Elementary, Highland Middle, and Atherton High School. In 1967 Cowan graduated from Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
and served in the Peace Corps
Peace Corps
The Peace Corps is an American volunteer program run by the United States Government, as well as a government agency of the same name. The mission of the Peace Corps includes three goals: providing technical assistance, helping people outside the United States to understand US culture, and helping...
in Dessie, Ethiopia (1967-1969). While in Ethiopia, he taught English at Woizero Siheen High School and became fluent in Amharic.
Once he returned to the US, he taught 5th grade in North Carolina before moving to Little Rock, Arkansas where he was a copy editor at the Arkansas Democrat and then started a grassroots consumer organization. In Little Rock, he met and married Linda Marshall Scholle, granddaughter of Lenore Marshall
Academy of American Poets
The Academy of American Poets is a non-profit organization dedicated to the art of poetry. The Academy was incorporated as a "membership corporation" in New York State in 1934...
and great-granddaughter of Louis Marshall. Fred and Linda moved to Massachusetts for Fred to attend Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
where he graduated in 1978.
Cowan moved to Louisville and worked for the Harvey Sloane for Governor of Kentucky in 1978-1979. After the unsuccessful campaign, Cowan practiced law with former Brown, Todd and Heyburn (Frost Brown Todd) and ran for State Representative, defeating a ten-term Republican incumbent. In 1987 he ran for Attorney General and defeated Todd Holelnbach in the Democratic primary. As Attorney General he successfully argued Stanford v. Kentucky
Stanford v. Kentucky
Stanford v. Kentucky, , was a United States Supreme Court case that sanctioned the imposition of the death penalty on offenders who were at least 16 years of age at the time of the crime. This decision came one year after Thompson v...
before the United States Supreme Court in 1989.
Before being elected Judge in 2006, he practiced law from 1992-2006 with Lynch, Cox, Gillman and Mayhan (now Lynch, Cox, Gillman and Goodman).
Cowan is the younger brother of author Roberta Bondi, older brother of History Detective Wesley Cowan
History Detectives
History Detectives is a documentary television series on PBS. A group of researchers help people to seek answers to various historical questions they have, usually centering around a family heirloom, an old house or other historic object or structure...
and first cousin of Kassie Wesley DePaiva
Kassie DePaiva
Kassie DePaiva is an American soap opera actress and singer. She was credited prior to 1996 as Kassie Wesley.-Private life:...
. He and Linda have three daughters.