Political, Social, & Military Leaders

Kentucky's unique prominence in many of the key events in U. S. history has helped it create a long list of important political, social, and military leaders.  Scroll through the list to read about a few of their accomplishments. 

The asterisk (*) symbol next to a name means that the individual was not born in Kentucky.

Daniel Carter Beard (1850-1941) Founder of Boy Scouts of America in 1910.

George Barry Bingham, Sr. (1906-1988) Head of Louisville Courier-Journal during a time when the newspaper won 7 Pulitzer Prizes and was ranked 10th in the nation.

Montgomery Blair (1813-1883) Chief defense in the Dred Scot case and postmaster under Abraham Lincoln's administration.

Louis Brandeis (1856-1941) Famous Supreme Court Justice who advocated for individual rights and a competitive economy.

John Cabell Breckinridge (1821-1875) Vice President under James Buchanan; fought in the Mexican and Civil War.

Madeline McDowell Breckinridge (1872-1920) National leader for in the women’s suffrage movement.

Sophonsiba Preston Breckinridge (1866-1948) First woman admitted into the Kentucky bar and first woman to receive a Ph.D in political science.

Cassius Marcellus Clay (1810-1903) Ambassador to Russia and founder of the Republican Party.

Henry Clay* (1777-1852) American statesman and two time presidential candidate; founder of the Whig Party.  Known as the “Great Compromiser.”

Laura Clay (1849-1941) Women’s rights advocate and first President of the Equal Rights Association.

Jefferson Davis (1808-1889) First and only President of the Confederate States. Previously was Secretary of War under President Franklin Pierce.

John Marshall Harlan (1833-1911) Associate Supreme Court Justice famous for his opinion in Plessey v. Ferguson, which upheld the “separate but equal” doctrine.

Richard M. Johnson (1780-1850) Vice President to Martin Van Buren and solider in the War of 1812.

Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) President of the United States during the Civil War. Authored the Emancipation Proclamation which freed the slaves.

Mary Todd Lincoln (1818-1882) First Lady of the United States; married to Abraham Lincoln.

Rose Will Monroe (1920-1997) Known as Rosie the Riveter, a national icon for the efforts of American women during WWII.

John Hunt Morgan* (1825-1864) Confederate General who penetrated further North than any other confederate battalion.

Georgia Davis Powers (1923-Present) Kentucky’s first female African American state senator. Marched with Martin Luther King Jr. in the 1960’s.

Colonel Harland Sanders* (1890-1980) Founder of fast food giant Kentucky Fried Chicken.

John Thomas Scopes (1900-1970) Defendant in the famous Scopes-Monkey Trial for teaching evolution in a Tennessee school.

Franklin R. Sousley, PFC (1925-1945) Helped raise the American flag at Iwo Jima--making him a part of one of the most famous war images in history.

Adlai Stevenson (1835-1914) Vice President under Grover Cleveland.

Zachary Taylor *(1784-1953) Mexican War hero and 12th President of the United States.

Frederick Moore Vinson (1890-1953) U. S. Supreme Court Chief Justice, 1946-53.

Whitney M. Young (1921-1971) Civil rights leader and advisor to Presidents Johnson and Nixon. Awarded Medal of Freedom in 1969.