Louie B. Nunn
Encyclopedia
Louie Broady Nunn was the 52nd governor of Kentucky
. Elected in 1967, he was the first Republican
elected to that office since Simeon Willis in 1943 and the last to hold it until the election of Ernie Fletcher
in 2003.
After rendering noncombat service in World War II and graduating from law school, Nunn entered local politics, becoming the first Republican county judge in the history of Barren County, Kentucky
. He worked on the campaigns of Republican candidates for national office, including John Sherman Cooper, Thruston Morton, and Dwight D. Eisenhower
. He was the Republican nominee for governor in 1963, but ultimately lost a close election to Democrat
Ned Breathitt
. An executive order signed by Governor Bert T. Combs
that desegregated Kentucky's public services became a major issue in the campaign. Nunn vowed to repeal the order if elected, while Breathitt promised to continue it.
In 1967, Nunn again ran for governor. After defeating Marlow Cook
in the Republican gubernatorial primary
, he eked out a victory over Democrat Henry Ward
. The state offices were split between Democrats and Republicans, and Nunn was saddled with a Democratic lieutenant governor
, Wendell H. Ford
. Despite a Democratic majority in the General Assembly
, Nunn was able to enact most of his priorities including tax increases that funded improvements to the state park system and the construction of a state-wide network of mental health centers. He oversaw the transition of Northern Kentucky University
from a community college
to a senior institution and brought the University of Louisville
into the state university system. The later years of his administration were marred by race riots in Louisville
and a violent protest against the Vietnam War
at the University of Kentucky
. Following his term as governor, he unsuccessfully challenged Walter "Dee" Huddleston
in the 1972 senatorial election and John Y. Brown, Jr.
in the 1979 gubernatorial contest. In later life, he supported the political ambitions of his son, Steve
, and advocated for the legalization of industrial hemp in Kentucky. He died at home of a heart attack on January 29, 2004.
and Metcalfe
counties – on March 8, 1924. His given name
, Louie, honored a deceased friend of his father's; his middle name
, Broady, was a surname in his mother's family. Louie was the youngest of the four sons born to Waller Harrison and Mary (Roberts) Nunn; their youngest child, Virginia, was their only daughter. The eldest brother, Lee Roy, went on to become an influential campaigner and fundraiser for the Republican Party
. The Nunns were farmers and operated a general store
, though Waller suffered from a congenital heart condition and severe arthritis
and was limited to light chores.
Nunn obtained the first eight years of his education in a one-room, one-teacher schoolhouse in Park. During his teenage years, he gave himself a hernia
while lifting a heavy piece of farm equipment. This, combined with his father's health history, may have contributed to back pain issues that plagued him for most of his life. In 1938, he matriculated to Hiseville High School. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree at Bowling Green Business University.
Following the bombing of Pearl Harbor
on December 7, 1941, Nunn departed for Cincinnati, Ohio and began taking flying lessons, hoping to become a B-17 pilot. By the time he finished his flight training, however, the Army
had discontinued its air cadet program. On June 2, 1943, he enlisted in the Army and received his recruit training
at Fort Wolters
near Fort Worth, Texas
. He was transferred numerous times. First, he was stationed at Sheppard Air Force Base
near Wichita Falls, Texas
. Next, he was assigned to the 97th Infantry Division, then received additional training at Fort Leonard Wood
in Missouri
. Finally, he transferred to the Army Medical Corps
, but his back injury flared up, and he received a medical discharge on September 13, 1945. He held the rank of corporal
at the time of his discharge.
Following his military duty, Nunn pursued a pre-law degree at the University of Cincinnati
. Three years later, he matriculated to the University of Louisville School of Law where he was a classmate of future congressman Marlow Cook
. Nunn earned his Bachelor of Laws
degree in 1950. He opened his legal practice in Glasgow
in September 1950.
On October 12, 1950, Nunn married Beula Cornelius Aspley, a divorcee from Bond, Kentucky. The couple had two children – Jennie Lou, born in 1951 and Steve
, born in 1952. Aspley also had three children from her first marriage. Following Nunn's marriage, he left the Methodist
denomination in which he had been raised and joined the Christian Church
, of which his wife was a member.
. In the Democratic
primary, one of the challengers charged that the incumbent had used his office for personal gain. In the wake of the investigation, a group of disgruntled Democrats formed an organization to elect Nunn. Nunn defeated his Democratic challenger by a vote of 5,171 to 4,378. He was the first Republican ever elected county judge in the history of the heavily-Democratic county.
In 1956, Nunn served as statewide campaign manager for Dwight D. Eisenhower
's presidential bid, as well as the senatorial
campaigns of John Sherman Cooper and Thruston Morton. The Kentucky Junior Chamber of Commerce named him "Young Man of the Year" in 1956. He was not a candidate for re-election as county judge in 1957, but was appointed as city attorney
for the city of Glasgow
in 1958. He considered running for governor in 1959, but became convinced it would be a bad year for Republicans and did not make the race. He managed Senator Cooper's re-election campaign in 1960 and Senator Morton's in 1962. He also managed the state campaign of presidential candidate Richard Nixon
in 1960.
Nunn was the Republican nominee for governor of Kentucky
in 1963. During the campaign, he attacked an executive order issued by sitting Democratic governor Bert T. Combs
that desegregated public accommodations in the state. Calling the order "a dictatorial edict of questionable constitutionality", Nunn charged that it had been dictated by U.S. Attorney General
Robert Kennedy. In a television appearance, Nunn displayed a copy of the order and declared "My first act will be to abolish this." The New Republic
accused him of conducting "the first outright segregationist campaign in Kentucky". He lost the election to Democrat Ned Breathitt
by a margin of just over 13,000 votes.
judge Marlow Cook, in Kentucky's first Republican gubernatorial primary
in many years. Nunn attacked Cook as a "liberal
, former New Yorker", and some of his supporters made reference to Cook's "Jewish backers". The injection of antisemitism into the campaign drew criticism from Senator John Sherman Cooper, who threw his support to Cook. Nunn also attacked Cook for his Catholic faith, a tactic that proved particularly effective with the state's rural and Protestant
voters. Nunn won the primary by a close vote.
Nunn then faced Democrat Henry Ward
in the general election. During the campaign, Nunn charged that Democrats wanted to raise taxes to pay for administrative inefficiencies. He also played up divisions within the Democratic party, and was endorsed by two-time former Democratic Governor A. B. "Happy" Chandler
. Nunn allied himself closely with the national Republican campaign against Lyndon B. Johnson
, bringing several prominent Republicans to the state to speak for him. He won the election by a vote of 454,123 to 425,674 despite the fact that half of the other state offices went to Democrats, including the lieutenant governorship
, won by Wendell H. Ford
.
The General Assembly was controlled by Democrats, but Nunn was able to pass most of his agenda. Despite a campaign promise not to raise taxes, when the outgoing Breathitt administration projected a shortfall of $24 million in the state budget, Nunn convinced the General Assembly
to pass an increase in the motor vehicle license fee from $5.00 to $12.50 and raise the state sales tax
from three percent to five percent. Nunn's budget focused on increased funding for education, mental health, and economic development. In the 1970 legislative session, the General Assembly enacted Nunn's proposals to eliminate taxes on prescription drugs and the use fee charged on vehicles transferred within families, but rejected his plans to reduce the income tax
for low-income families and increase tax credits for the blind and the elderly.
Nunn oversaw the entry of the University of Louisville
into the state's public university system. Fulfilling a campaign promise, he helped transform Northern Kentucky Community College into Northern Kentucky State College (now Northern Kentucky University
), a four-year institution and member of the state university system. Historian Lowell H. Harrison
opined that these actions diluted state support to existing higher education institutions. Nunn also supported the newly-created Kentucky Educational Television
.
Nunn doubled the accommodations in the state park system. Barren River Lake State Resort Park
was completed during his tenure, and three other parks were planned and funded during his administration. He also greatly improved the state mental health system. Under his leadership, a state-wide network of 22 mental health centers was completed, and all four state psychiatric hospitals were accredited for the first time. Nunn called the revamping of the state mental health system his proudest accomplishment at governor. There was not total agreement between Nunn and the legislature however. The governor vetoed one-quarter of the bills passed in the 1968 legislative session and 14 percent of those passed in the 1970 session. An open housing
bill became law without Nunn's signature, and he also refused to sign the 1970 state budget as a form of protest. (Unsigned bills become law after ten days under the Kentucky Constitution
, in contrast to the pocket veto
provision in the federal constitution
.)
A supporter of President
Nixon's law-and-order philosophies, Nunn called out the National Guard
to break up violent protests in the state. In May 1968, he sent the Guard to Louisville
to break up race-related protests
that followed peaceful civil rights
marches. This action was criticized by civil rights leaders across the state. In May 1970, Nunn again dispatched the Guard to quell protests against the Vietnam War
at the University of Kentucky
including the imposition of a curfew
that interfered with final examination
s. The latter protest culminated in the burning of one of the university's ROTC buildings.
From 1968 to 1969, Nunn served on the Executive Committee of the National Governors' Conference
, and in 1971, he chaired the Republican Governors Association
. The Louisville Courier-Journal said of Nunn's administration "On the whole, his management of the state's finances has been sound. ... [H]e took a general fund facing a deficit, restored it to solvency, and kept it healthy. No scandals have marred the Nunn record. He chose able men to direct his revenue and finance departments, and their efficiency saved the state millions of dollars." Historian Thomas D. Clark
called Nunn the strongest of Kentucky's eight Republican governors.
. He campaigned for a seat in the U.S. Senate in 1972, losing to Democrat Walter "Dee" Huddleston
. His loss came despite a landslide victory for Richard Nixon in the state and was generally blamed on his support for an increased sales tax during his gubernatorial administration. He continued backing Republican candidates, including his support of Ronald Reagan
in 1975. His last run for office came in 1979 when he was again the Republican nominee for governor against Democrat John Y. Brown, Jr.
. He decried the excessive spending, expanding government, and increased state employment that had occurred under Democratic administrations. He also attacked Brown for his playboy image (he was married to former Miss America
Phyllis George
) and his refusal to release his tax returns, as well as his inexperience in government. Despite these attacks, Nunn lost by a vote of 558,008 to 381,278 and returned to his legal practice.
In the 1980s, Nunn served on the boards of regents of Morehead State University
and Kentucky State University
. He served as a distinguished lecturer at Western Kentucky University
and received the Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Louisville in 1999. He disapproved of the emerging Republican leadership in Kentucky, criticizing Senator Mitch McConnell
for not doing more to support other Republicans in their bids for office. He unsuccessfully challenged Congressman
Jim Bunning
in his bid to retain his position as Kentucky's Republican national committeeman in 1988.
In 1994, Nunn's wife Beula filed for divorce from a hospital bed where she lay dying of cancer. She claimed she was trying to preserve some of her estate for her children. A Metcalfe County judge granted the divorce, but Nunn challenged the ruling, and it was later set aside. Some property issues were still pending at the time of Beula's death in 1995. During the divorce proceedings, Nunn's son Steve sided with his mother, causing a rift between Steve Nunn and his father. A 1994 letter from the elder Nunn alleged that Steve Nunn physically and verbally abused Louie Nunn and other members of his family. The letter was discovered in 2009 when Steve Nunn was charged with the murder of his former fiancée, Amanda Ross.
In 1999, Nunn again considered a bid for governor, precluding a potential bid by his son, Steve. He cited personal and health issues for not making the race. In 2000, he backed the presidential campaign of Senator John McCain
. Nunn was reconciled to his son Steve, and when Steve ran for governor in 2003, Louie supported him. Steve Nunn ultimately ran third in a four-way primary. The elder Nunn then supported Republican nominee Ernie Fletcher, hosting a fundraiser for him.
Nunn also became an advocate of legalizing industrial hemp in Kentucky. Of the issue, Nunn wrote "Frankly, I was opposed to the legalization of hemp for years because I had been of the opinion hemp was marijuana. I was short-sighted in my thinking, and I was wrong." In 2000, Nunn defended actor Woody Harrelson
, who came to Lee County, Kentucky
and planted hemp seeds in open defiance of Kentucky's law forbidding cultivation of hemp. Harrelson was acquitted. Later, he traveled to South Dakota
where, at the base of Mount Rushmore
, he publicly presented a Oglala Lakota
leader with bales of hemp after the tribe's crop was confiscated by officers from the federal Drug Enforcement Administration
.
Louie B. Nunn died of a heart attack at his home in Versailles, Kentucky
on January 29, 2004, hours after hosting a luncheon with labor leaders seeking help in dealing with the newly-elected Fletcher administration. He was buried at the Cosby Methodist Church cemetery in Hart County, Kentucky
. The Cumberland Parkway was renamed the Louie B. Nunn Cumberland Parkway in 2000. The main lodge at the Barren River Lake State Resort Park is also named in Nunn's honor.
Governor of Kentucky
The Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky is the head of the executive branch of government in the U.S. state of Kentucky. Fifty-six men and one woman have served as Governor of Kentucky. The governor's term is four years in length; since 1992, incumbents have been able to seek re-election once...
. Elected in 1967, he was the first Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
elected to that office since Simeon Willis in 1943 and the last to hold it until the election of Ernie Fletcher
Ernie Fletcher
Ernest Lee "Ernie" Fletcher is a Republican politician from the U.S. state of Kentucky. In 1999, he was elected to the first of three consecutive terms in the United States House of Representatives; he resigned in 2003 after being elected the 60th governor of Kentucky and served in that office...
in 2003.
After rendering noncombat service in World War II and graduating from law school, Nunn entered local politics, becoming the first Republican county judge in the history of Barren County, Kentucky
Barren County, Kentucky
As of the census of 2000, there were 38,033 people, 15,346 households, and 10,941 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 17,095 housing units at an average density of...
. He worked on the campaigns of Republican candidates for national office, including John Sherman Cooper, Thruston Morton, and Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
. He was the Republican nominee for governor in 1963, but ultimately lost a close election to Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Ned Breathitt
Edward T. Breathitt
Edward Thompson "Ned" Breathitt, Jr. was a politician from the US state of Kentucky. A member of one of the state's political families, he was the 51st Governor of Kentucky, serving from 1963 to 1967...
. An executive order signed by Governor Bert T. Combs
Bert T. Combs
Bertram Thomas Combs was a jurist and politician from the US state of Kentucky. After serving on the Kentucky Court of Appeals, he was elected the 50th Governor of Kentucky in 1959 on his second run for the office. Following his gubernatorial term, he was appointed to the Sixth Circuit Court of...
that desegregated Kentucky's public services became a major issue in the campaign. Nunn vowed to repeal the order if elected, while Breathitt promised to continue it.
In 1967, Nunn again ran for governor. After defeating Marlow Cook
Marlow Cook
Marlow Webster Cook is a former Republican United States Senator from Kentucky.-Early life:Cook moved to Louisville when he was 17. He joined the United States Navy and served on submarines in both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans during World War II...
in the Republican gubernatorial primary
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
, he eked out a victory over Democrat Henry Ward
Henry Ward (Kentucky)
Henry Ward was a Democrat who held posts in Democratic state administrations in Kentucky and was the Democratic nominee for Governor of Kentucky in 1967. Ward lost the general election to Louie B. Nunn...
. The state offices were split between Democrats and Republicans, and Nunn was saddled with a Democratic lieutenant governor
Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky
The office of lieutenant governor of Kentucky has existed under the last three of Kentucky's four constitutions, beginning in 1797. The lieutenant governor serves as governor of Kentucky under circumstances similar to the Vice President of the United States assuming the powers of the presidency...
, Wendell H. Ford
Wendell H. Ford
Wendell Hampton Ford is a retired politician from the U.S. state of Kentucky. He served for twenty-four years in the U.S. Senate and was the 53rd Governor of Kentucky. He was the first person to be successively elected lieutenant governor, governor, and U.S. senator in Kentucky history...
. Despite a Democratic majority in the General Assembly
Kentucky General Assembly
The Kentucky General Assembly, also called the Kentucky Legislature, is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Kentucky.The General Assembly meets annually in the state capitol building in Frankfort, Kentucky, convening on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in January...
, Nunn was able to enact most of his priorities including tax increases that funded improvements to the state park system and the construction of a state-wide network of mental health centers. He oversaw the transition of Northern Kentucky University
Northern Kentucky University
|type = Public|president= Dr. James C. Votruba|city = Highland Heights|state = KY|country = U.S.|endowment = $68 million|students = 15,405|undergrad = 13,206|postgrad = 2,199|faculty = 1,159...
from a community college
Community college
A community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries.-Australia:Community colleges carry on the tradition of adult education, which was established in Australia around mid 19th century when evening classes were held to help adults...
to a senior institution and brought the University of Louisville
University of Louisville
The University of Louisville is a public university in Louisville, Kentucky. When founded in 1798, it was the first city-owned public university in the United States and one of the first universities chartered west of the Allegheny Mountains. The university is mandated by the Kentucky General...
into the state university system. The later years of his administration were marred by race riots in Louisville
Louisville riots of 1968
The Louisville riots of 1968 refers to riots in Louisville, Kentucky in May 1968. As in many other cities around the country, there were unrest and riots partially in response to the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. On May 27, 1968, a group of 400 people, mostly blacks, gathered at...
and a violent protest against the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
at the University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
. Following his term as governor, he unsuccessfully challenged Walter "Dee" Huddleston
Walter Huddleston
Walter Darlington "Dee" Huddleston is a retired American politician. He is a Democrat from the state of Kentucky. He represented Kentucky in the United States Senate from 1973 until 1985....
in the 1972 senatorial election and John Y. Brown, Jr.
John Y. Brown, Jr.
This article is about one of four John Young Browns, from Kentucky, that have served political office. For others see: John Young Brown ...
in the 1979 gubernatorial contest. In later life, he supported the political ambitions of his son, Steve
Steve Nunn
Stephen R. "Steve" Nunn is the former Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services for the Commonwealth of Kentucky. He was previously Republican member of the Kentucky House of Representatives from Glasgow, the seat of Barren County in southern Kentucky. He is the son of the late Kentucky...
, and advocated for the legalization of industrial hemp in Kentucky. He died at home of a heart attack on January 29, 2004.
Early life
Louie Broady Nunn was born in Park, Kentucky – a small community on the border of BarrenBarren County, Kentucky
As of the census of 2000, there were 38,033 people, 15,346 households, and 10,941 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 17,095 housing units at an average density of...
and Metcalfe
Metcalfe County, Kentucky
Metcalfe County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2000, the population was 10,037. Its county seat is Edmonton. The county is named for Thomas Metcalfe, Governor of Kentucky from 1828-32...
counties – on March 8, 1924. His given name
Given name
A given name, in Western contexts often referred to as a first name, is a personal name that specifies and differentiates between members of a group of individuals, especially in a family, all of whose members usually share the same family name...
, Louie, honored a deceased friend of his father's; his middle name
Middle name
People's names in several cultures include one or more additional names placed between the first given name and the surname. In Canada and the United States all such names are specifically referred to as middle name; in most European countries they would simply be regarded as second, third, etc....
, Broady, was a surname in his mother's family. Louie was the youngest of the four sons born to Waller Harrison and Mary (Roberts) Nunn; their youngest child, Virginia, was their only daughter. The eldest brother, Lee Roy, went on to become an influential campaigner and fundraiser for the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
. The Nunns were farmers and operated a general store
General store
A general store, general merchandise store, or village shop is a rural or small town store that carries a general line of merchandise. It carries a broad selection of merchandise, sometimes in a small space, where people from the town and surrounding rural areas come to purchase all their general...
, though Waller suffered from a congenital heart condition and severe arthritis
Arthritis
Arthritis is a form of joint disorder that involves inflammation of one or more joints....
and was limited to light chores.
Nunn obtained the first eight years of his education in a one-room, one-teacher schoolhouse in Park. During his teenage years, he gave himself a hernia
Hernia
A hernia is the protrusion of an organ or the fascia of an organ through the wall of the cavity that normally contains it. A hiatal hernia occurs when the stomach protrudes into the mediastinum through the esophageal opening in the diaphragm....
while lifting a heavy piece of farm equipment. This, combined with his father's health history, may have contributed to back pain issues that plagued him for most of his life. In 1938, he matriculated to Hiseville High School. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree at Bowling Green Business University.
Following the bombing of Pearl Harbor
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
on December 7, 1941, Nunn departed for Cincinnati, Ohio and began taking flying lessons, hoping to become a B-17 pilot. By the time he finished his flight training, however, the Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
had discontinued its air cadet program. On June 2, 1943, he enlisted in the Army and received his recruit training
Recruit training
Recruit training, more commonly known as Basic Training and colloquially called Boot Camp, is the initial indoctrination and instruction given to new military personnel, enlisted and officer...
at Fort Wolters
Fort Wolters
Fort Wolters was a United States military installation four miles northeast of Mineral Wells, Texas. Originally named Camp Wolters, it was an Army camp from 1925 to 1946. During World War II, it was for a time the largest infantry replacement training center in the United States. After the war, the...
near Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
. He was transferred numerous times. First, he was stationed at Sheppard Air Force Base
Sheppard Air Force Base
Sheppard Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located five miles north of the central business district of Wichita Falls, in Wichita County, Texas, United States. It is the largest training base and most diversified in Air Education and Training Command...
near Wichita Falls, Texas
Wichita Falls, Texas
Wichita Falls is a city in and the county seat of Wichita County, Texas, United States, United States. Wichita Falls is the principal city of the Wichita Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Archer, Clay and Wichita counties. According to the U.S. Census estimate of 2010,...
. Next, he was assigned to the 97th Infantry Division, then received additional training at Fort Leonard Wood
Fort Leonard Wood (military base)
Fort Leonard Wood is a United States Army installation located in the Missouri Ozarks. The main gate is located on the southern boundary of St. Robert. The post was created in December 1940 and named in honor of General Leonard Wood, former Chief of Staff, in January 1941...
in Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
. Finally, he transferred to the Army Medical Corps
Medical Corps (United States Army)
The Medical Corps of the U.S. Army is a staff corps of the U.S. Army Medical Department consisting of commissioned medical officers – physicians with either an MD or a DO degree, at least one year of post-graduate clinical training, and a state medical license.The MC traces its earliest origins...
, but his back injury flared up, and he received a medical discharge on September 13, 1945. He held the rank of corporal
Corporal
Corporal is a rank in use in some form by most militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. It is usually equivalent to NATO Rank Code OR-4....
at the time of his discharge.
Following his military duty, Nunn pursued a pre-law degree at the University of Cincinnati
University of Cincinnati
The University of Cincinnati is a comprehensive public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, and a part of the University System of Ohio....
. Three years later, he matriculated to the University of Louisville School of Law where he was a classmate of future congressman Marlow Cook
Marlow Cook
Marlow Webster Cook is a former Republican United States Senator from Kentucky.-Early life:Cook moved to Louisville when he was 17. He joined the United States Navy and served on submarines in both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans during World War II...
. Nunn earned his Bachelor of Laws
Bachelor of Laws
The Bachelor of Laws is an undergraduate, or bachelor, degree in law originating in England and offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree...
degree in 1950. He opened his legal practice in Glasgow
Glasgow, Kentucky
Glasgow is a city in and the county seat of Barren County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 14,200 at the 2000 census. The city is well-known for its annual Scottish Highland Games. In 2007, Barren County was named the number one rural place to live by Progressive Farmer magazine...
in September 1950.
On October 12, 1950, Nunn married Beula Cornelius Aspley, a divorcee from Bond, Kentucky. The couple had two children – Jennie Lou, born in 1951 and Steve
Steve Nunn
Stephen R. "Steve" Nunn is the former Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services for the Commonwealth of Kentucky. He was previously Republican member of the Kentucky House of Representatives from Glasgow, the seat of Barren County in southern Kentucky. He is the son of the late Kentucky...
, born in 1952. Aspley also had three children from her first marriage. Following Nunn's marriage, he left the Methodist
Methodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
denomination in which he had been raised and joined the Christian Church
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
The Christian Church is a Mainline Protestant denomination in North America. It is often referred to as The Christian Church, The Disciples of Christ, or more simply as The Disciples...
, of which his wife was a member.
Political career
On June 17, 1953, Nunn declared as a Republican candidate for county judge. He was unopposed in the Republican primaryPrimary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
. In the Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
primary, one of the challengers charged that the incumbent had used his office for personal gain. In the wake of the investigation, a group of disgruntled Democrats formed an organization to elect Nunn. Nunn defeated his Democratic challenger by a vote of 5,171 to 4,378. He was the first Republican ever elected county judge in the history of the heavily-Democratic county.
In 1956, Nunn served as statewide campaign manager for Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
's presidential bid, as well as the senatorial
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
campaigns of John Sherman Cooper and Thruston Morton. The Kentucky Junior Chamber of Commerce named him "Young Man of the Year" in 1956. He was not a candidate for re-election as county judge in 1957, but was appointed as city attorney
City attorney
A city attorney can be an elected or appointed position in city and municipal government in the United States. The city attorney is the attorney representing the city or municipality....
for the city of Glasgow
Glasgow, Kentucky
Glasgow is a city in and the county seat of Barren County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 14,200 at the 2000 census. The city is well-known for its annual Scottish Highland Games. In 2007, Barren County was named the number one rural place to live by Progressive Farmer magazine...
in 1958. He considered running for governor in 1959, but became convinced it would be a bad year for Republicans and did not make the race. He managed Senator Cooper's re-election campaign in 1960 and Senator Morton's in 1962. He also managed the state campaign of presidential candidate Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
in 1960.
Nunn was the Republican nominee for governor of Kentucky
Governor of Kentucky
The Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky is the head of the executive branch of government in the U.S. state of Kentucky. Fifty-six men and one woman have served as Governor of Kentucky. The governor's term is four years in length; since 1992, incumbents have been able to seek re-election once...
in 1963. During the campaign, he attacked an executive order issued by sitting Democratic governor Bert T. Combs
Bert T. Combs
Bertram Thomas Combs was a jurist and politician from the US state of Kentucky. After serving on the Kentucky Court of Appeals, he was elected the 50th Governor of Kentucky in 1959 on his second run for the office. Following his gubernatorial term, he was appointed to the Sixth Circuit Court of...
that desegregated public accommodations in the state. Calling the order "a dictatorial edict of questionable constitutionality", Nunn charged that it had been dictated by U.S. Attorney General
United States Attorney General
The United States Attorney General is the head of the United States Department of Justice concerned with legal affairs and is the chief law enforcement officer of the United States government. The attorney general is considered to be the chief lawyer of the U.S. government...
Robert Kennedy. In a television appearance, Nunn displayed a copy of the order and declared "My first act will be to abolish this." The New Republic
The New Republic
The magazine has also published two articles concerning income inequality, largely criticizing conservative economists for their attempts to deny the existence or negative effect increasing income inequality is having on the United States...
accused him of conducting "the first outright segregationist campaign in Kentucky". He lost the election to Democrat Ned Breathitt
Edward T. Breathitt
Edward Thompson "Ned" Breathitt, Jr. was a politician from the US state of Kentucky. A member of one of the state's political families, he was the 51st Governor of Kentucky, serving from 1963 to 1967...
by a margin of just over 13,000 votes.
Governor of Kentucky
In 1967, Nunn faced his old classmate, Jefferson CountyJefferson County, Kentucky
As of the census of 2000, there were 693,604 people, 287,012 households, and 183,113 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 305,835 housing units at an average density of...
judge Marlow Cook, in Kentucky's first Republican gubernatorial primary
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
in many years. Nunn attacked Cook as a "liberal
Liberalism in the United States
Liberalism in the United States is a broad political philosophy centered on the unalienable rights of the individual. The fundamental liberal ideals of freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of religion for all belief systems, and the separation of church and state, right to due process...
, former New Yorker", and some of his supporters made reference to Cook's "Jewish backers". The injection of antisemitism into the campaign drew criticism from Senator John Sherman Cooper, who threw his support to Cook. Nunn also attacked Cook for his Catholic faith, a tactic that proved particularly effective with the state's rural and Protestant
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
voters. Nunn won the primary by a close vote.
Nunn then faced Democrat Henry Ward
Henry Ward (Kentucky)
Henry Ward was a Democrat who held posts in Democratic state administrations in Kentucky and was the Democratic nominee for Governor of Kentucky in 1967. Ward lost the general election to Louie B. Nunn...
in the general election. During the campaign, Nunn charged that Democrats wanted to raise taxes to pay for administrative inefficiencies. He also played up divisions within the Democratic party, and was endorsed by two-time former Democratic Governor A. B. "Happy" Chandler
Happy Chandler
Albert Benjamin "Happy" Chandler, Sr. was a politician from the US state of Kentucky. He represented the state in the U.S. Senate and served as its 44th and 49th governor. Aside from his political positions, he also served as the second Commissioner of Major League Baseball from 1945 to 1951 and...
. Nunn allied himself closely with the national Republican campaign against Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon Baines Johnson , often referred to as LBJ, was the 36th President of the United States after his service as the 37th Vice President of the United States...
, bringing several prominent Republicans to the state to speak for him. He won the election by a vote of 454,123 to 425,674 despite the fact that half of the other state offices went to Democrats, including the lieutenant governorship
Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky
The office of lieutenant governor of Kentucky has existed under the last three of Kentucky's four constitutions, beginning in 1797. The lieutenant governor serves as governor of Kentucky under circumstances similar to the Vice President of the United States assuming the powers of the presidency...
, won by Wendell H. Ford
Wendell H. Ford
Wendell Hampton Ford is a retired politician from the U.S. state of Kentucky. He served for twenty-four years in the U.S. Senate and was the 53rd Governor of Kentucky. He was the first person to be successively elected lieutenant governor, governor, and U.S. senator in Kentucky history...
.
The General Assembly was controlled by Democrats, but Nunn was able to pass most of his agenda. Despite a campaign promise not to raise taxes, when the outgoing Breathitt administration projected a shortfall of $24 million in the state budget, Nunn convinced the General Assembly
Kentucky General Assembly
The Kentucky General Assembly, also called the Kentucky Legislature, is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Kentucky.The General Assembly meets annually in the state capitol building in Frankfort, Kentucky, convening on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in January...
to pass an increase in the motor vehicle license fee from $5.00 to $12.50 and raise the state sales tax
Sales tax
A sales tax is a tax, usually paid by the consumer at the point of purchase, itemized separately from the base price, for certain goods and services. The tax amount is usually calculated by applying a percentage rate to the taxable price of a sale....
from three percent to five percent. Nunn's budget focused on increased funding for education, mental health, and economic development. In the 1970 legislative session, the General Assembly enacted Nunn's proposals to eliminate taxes on prescription drugs and the use fee charged on vehicles transferred within families, but rejected his plans to reduce the income tax
Income tax
An income tax is a tax levied on the income of individuals or businesses . Various income tax systems exist, with varying degrees of tax incidence. Income taxation can be progressive, proportional, or regressive. When the tax is levied on the income of companies, it is often called a corporate...
for low-income families and increase tax credits for the blind and the elderly.
Nunn oversaw the entry of the University of Louisville
University of Louisville
The University of Louisville is a public university in Louisville, Kentucky. When founded in 1798, it was the first city-owned public university in the United States and one of the first universities chartered west of the Allegheny Mountains. The university is mandated by the Kentucky General...
into the state's public university system. Fulfilling a campaign promise, he helped transform Northern Kentucky Community College into Northern Kentucky State College (now Northern Kentucky University
Northern Kentucky University
|type = Public|president= Dr. James C. Votruba|city = Highland Heights|state = KY|country = U.S.|endowment = $68 million|students = 15,405|undergrad = 13,206|postgrad = 2,199|faculty = 1,159...
), a four-year institution and member of the state university system. Historian Lowell H. Harrison
Lowell H. Harrison
Lowell Hayes Harrison was an American historian specializing in Kentucky. Harrison graduated from College High . He received a B.A. from Western Kentucky University in 1946, then enrolled at New York University where he earned an M.A. in 1947 and a PhD in 1951, both in history...
opined that these actions diluted state support to existing higher education institutions. Nunn also supported the newly-created Kentucky Educational Television
Kentucky Educational Television
Kentucky Educational Television, also known as KET: The Kentucky Network, is Kentucky's non-commercial educational public television state network...
.
Nunn doubled the accommodations in the state park system. Barren River Lake State Resort Park
Barren River Lake State Resort Park
Barren River Lake State Resort Park is a 2,187 acre park located in Barren County, Kentucky and extending into parts of Allen County and Monroe County. Barren River Lake, its major feature, is an artificial lake created in 1964. It covers approximately 10,000 acres and has of shoreline...
was completed during his tenure, and three other parks were planned and funded during his administration. He also greatly improved the state mental health system. Under his leadership, a state-wide network of 22 mental health centers was completed, and all four state psychiatric hospitals were accredited for the first time. Nunn called the revamping of the state mental health system his proudest accomplishment at governor. There was not total agreement between Nunn and the legislature however. The governor vetoed one-quarter of the bills passed in the 1968 legislative session and 14 percent of those passed in the 1970 session. An open housing
Fair housing
In the United States, the fair housing policies date largely from the 1960s. Originally, the terms fair housing and open housing came from a political movement of the time to outlaw discrimination in the rental or purchase of homes and a broad range of other housing-related transactions, such as...
bill became law without Nunn's signature, and he also refused to sign the 1970 state budget as a form of protest. (Unsigned bills become law after ten days under the Kentucky Constitution
Kentucky Constitution
The Constitution of the Commonwealth of Kentucky is the document that governs the Commonwealth of Kentucky. It was first adopted in 1792 and has since been rewritten three times and amended many more...
, in contrast to the pocket veto
Pocket veto
A pocket veto is a legislative maneuver in United States federal lawmaking that allows the President to veto a bill indirectly.The U.S. Constitution limits the President's period for decision on whether to sign or veto any legislation to ten days while the United States Congress is in session...
provision in the federal constitution
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three...
.)
A supporter of President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Nixon's law-and-order philosophies, Nunn called out the National Guard
United States National Guard
The National Guard of the United States is a reserve military force composed of state National Guard militia members or units under federally recognized active or inactive armed force service for the United States. Militia members are citizen soldiers, meaning they work part time for the National...
to break up violent protests in the state. In May 1968, he sent the Guard to 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...
to break up race-related protests
Louisville riots of 1968
The Louisville riots of 1968 refers to riots in Louisville, Kentucky in May 1968. As in many other cities around the country, there were unrest and riots partially in response to the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. On May 27, 1968, a group of 400 people, mostly blacks, gathered at...
that followed peaceful civil rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
marches. This action was criticized by civil rights leaders across the state. In May 1970, Nunn again dispatched the Guard to quell protests against the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
at the University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
including the imposition of a curfew
Curfew
A curfew is an order specifying a time after which certain regulations apply. Examples:# An order by a government for certain persons to return home daily before a certain time...
that interfered with final examination
Final examination
A final examination is a test given to students at the end of a course of study or training. Although the term can be used in the context of physical training, it most often occurs in the academic world...
s. The latter protest culminated in the burning of one of the university's ROTC buildings.
From 1968 to 1969, Nunn served on the Executive Committee of the National Governors' Conference
National Governors Association
The National Governors Association , founded in 1908 as the National Governors' Conference, is funded primarily by state dues, federal grants and contracts and private contributions. NGA represents the governors of the fifty U.S. states and five U.S. territories The National Governors Association...
, and in 1971, he chaired the Republican Governors Association
Republican Governors Association
The Republican Governors Association is a Washington, D.C.-based 527 organization founded in 1963, consisting of U.S. state and territorial governors affiliated with the Republican Party.Its Democratic Party counterpart is the Democratic Governors Association...
. The Louisville Courier-Journal said of Nunn's administration "On the whole, his management of the state's finances has been sound. ... [H]e took a general fund facing a deficit, restored it to solvency, and kept it healthy. No scandals have marred the Nunn record. He chose able men to direct his revenue and finance departments, and their efficiency saved the state millions of dollars." Historian Thomas D. Clark
Thomas D. Clark
Thomas Dionysius Clark was perhaps Kentucky's most notable historian. Clark saved from destruction a large portion of Kentucky's printed history, which later become a core body of documents in the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives...
called Nunn the strongest of Kentucky's eight Republican governors.
Later career
Following his term as governor, Nunn opened a law practice in LexingtonLexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
. He campaigned for a seat in the U.S. Senate in 1972, losing to Democrat Walter "Dee" Huddleston
Walter Huddleston
Walter Darlington "Dee" Huddleston is a retired American politician. He is a Democrat from the state of Kentucky. He represented Kentucky in the United States Senate from 1973 until 1985....
. His loss came despite a landslide victory for Richard Nixon in the state and was generally blamed on his support for an increased sales tax during his gubernatorial administration. He continued backing Republican candidates, including his support of Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
in 1975. His last run for office came in 1979 when he was again the Republican nominee for governor against Democrat John Y. Brown, Jr.
John Y. Brown, Jr.
This article is about one of four John Young Browns, from Kentucky, that have served political office. For others see: John Young Brown ...
. He decried the excessive spending, expanding government, and increased state employment that had occurred under Democratic administrations. He also attacked Brown for his playboy image (he was married to former Miss America
Miss America
The Miss America pageant is a long-standing competition which awards scholarships to young women from the 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands...
Phyllis George
Phyllis George
Phyllis Ann George Brown is an American businesswoman, actress and a former sportscaster. She is a former Miss Texas and Miss America of 1971.- Early life :...
) and his refusal to release his tax returns, as well as his inexperience in government. Despite these attacks, Nunn lost by a vote of 558,008 to 381,278 and returned to his legal practice.
In the 1980s, Nunn served on the boards of regents of Morehead State University
Morehead State University
Morehead State University is a public, co-educational university located in Morehead, Kentucky, United States in the foothills of the Daniel Boone National Forest in Rowan County, midway between Lexington, Kentucky, and Huntington, West Virginia. The 2012 edition of "America's Best Colleges" by U.S...
and Kentucky State University
Kentucky State University
Kentucky State University is a four-year institution of higher learning, located in Frankfort, Kentucky, United States, the Commonwealth's capital. The school is an historically black university, which desegregated in 1954...
. He served as a distinguished lecturer at Western Kentucky University
Western Kentucky University
Western Kentucky University is a public university in Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA. It was formally founded by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1906, though its roots reach back a quarter-century earlier....
and received the Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Louisville in 1999. He disapproved of the emerging Republican leadership in Kentucky, criticizing Senator Mitch McConnell
Mitch McConnell
Addison Mitchell "Mitch" McConnell, Jr. is the senior United States Senator from Kentucky and the Republican Minority Leader.- Early life, education, and military service :...
for not doing more to support other Republicans in their bids for office. He unsuccessfully challenged Congressman
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
Jim Bunning
Jim Bunning
James Paul David "Jim" Bunning is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher and politician.During a 17-year baseball career, he pitched from 1955 to 1971, most notably with the Detroit Tigers and the Philadelphia Phillies. When he retired, he had the second-highest total of career...
in his bid to retain his position as Kentucky's Republican national committeeman in 1988.
In 1994, Nunn's wife Beula filed for divorce from a hospital bed where she lay dying of cancer. She claimed she was trying to preserve some of her estate for her children. A Metcalfe County judge granted the divorce, but Nunn challenged the ruling, and it was later set aside. Some property issues were still pending at the time of Beula's death in 1995. During the divorce proceedings, Nunn's son Steve sided with his mother, causing a rift between Steve Nunn and his father. A 1994 letter from the elder Nunn alleged that Steve Nunn physically and verbally abused Louie Nunn and other members of his family. The letter was discovered in 2009 when Steve Nunn was charged with the murder of his former fiancée, Amanda Ross.
In 1999, Nunn again considered a bid for governor, precluding a potential bid by his son, Steve. He cited personal and health issues for not making the race. In 2000, he backed the presidential campaign of Senator John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
. Nunn was reconciled to his son Steve, and when Steve ran for governor in 2003, Louie supported him. Steve Nunn ultimately ran third in a four-way primary. The elder Nunn then supported Republican nominee Ernie Fletcher, hosting a fundraiser for him.
Nunn also became an advocate of legalizing industrial hemp in Kentucky. Of the issue, Nunn wrote "Frankly, I was opposed to the legalization of hemp for years because I had been of the opinion hemp was marijuana. I was short-sighted in my thinking, and I was wrong." In 2000, Nunn defended actor Woody Harrelson
Woody Harrelson
Woodrow Tracy "Woody" Harrelson is an American actor.Harrelson's breakthrough role came in the television sitcom Cheers as bartender Woody Boyd...
, who came to Lee County, Kentucky
Lee County, Kentucky
Lee County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2000, the population was 7,916. Its county seat is Beattyville. It is a prohibition or dry county.-History:...
and planted hemp seeds in open defiance of Kentucky's law forbidding cultivation of hemp. Harrelson was acquitted. Later, he traveled to South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
where, at the base of Mount Rushmore
Mount Rushmore
Mount Rushmore National Memorial is a sculpture carved into the granite face of Mount Rushmore near Keystone, South Dakota, in the United States...
, he publicly presented a Oglala Lakota
Oglala Lakota
The Oglala Lakota or Oglala Sioux are one of the seven subtribes of the Lakota people; along with the Nakota and Dakota, they make up the Great Sioux Nation. A majority of the Oglala live on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota, the eighth-largest Native American reservation in the...
leader with bales of hemp after the tribe's crop was confiscated by officers from the federal Drug Enforcement Administration
Drug Enforcement Administration
The Drug Enforcement Administration is a federal law enforcement agency under the United States Department of Justice, tasked with combating drug smuggling and use within the United States...
.
Louie B. Nunn died of a heart attack at his home in Versailles, Kentucky
Versailles, Kentucky
As of the census of 2000, there were 7,511 people, 3,160 households, and 2,110 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 3,330 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 88.18% White, 8.67% African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.35%...
on January 29, 2004, hours after hosting a luncheon with labor leaders seeking help in dealing with the newly-elected Fletcher administration. He was buried at the Cosby Methodist Church cemetery in Hart County, Kentucky
Hart County, Kentucky
Hart County is a county located in the U.S. state — or, more correctly, "Commonwealth" — of Kentucky. It was formed in 1819. , the population was 17,445. Its county seat is Munfordville. The county is named for Captain Nathaniel G. S. Hart, a Kentucky militia officer in the War of 1812...
. The Cumberland Parkway was renamed the Louie B. Nunn Cumberland Parkway in 2000. The main lodge at the Barren River Lake State Resort Park is also named in Nunn's honor.
Ancestors
External links
- Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral HistoryLouie B. Nunn Center for Oral HistoryThe Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History at the University of Kentucky actively collects oral history interviews concentrating on 20th and 21st century Kentucky history, and maintains a collection of over 8,000 interviews made up of over 100 projects. The Center's emphasis has been on political,...
at the University of Kentucky Libraries http://www.uky.edu/Libraries/libpage.php?lweb_id=11&llib_id=13<ab_id=1368