Paul E. Patton facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Paul Patton
Patton in 2013
19th President of University of Pikeville
In office July 6, 2010 – October 19, 2013
Succeeded by	James L. Hurley
59th Governor of Kentucky
In office December 12, 1995 – December 9, 2003
Lieutenant	Steve Henry
Preceded by	Brereton Jones
Succeeded by	Ernie Fletcher
Chair of the National Governors Association
In office July 16, 2002 – August 19, 2003
Preceded by	John Engler
Succeeded by	Dirk Kempthorne
51st Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky
In office December 10, 1991 – December 12, 1995
Governor	Brereton Jones
Preceded by	Brereton Jones
Succeeded by	Steve Henry
Judge/Executive of Pike County
In office January 4, 1982 – December 10, 1991
Preceded by	Wayne Rutherford
Succeeded by	Stirl Eddie Harris
Personal details
Born	Paul Edward Patton (1937-05-26) May 26, 1937 (age 88) Fallsburg, Kentucky, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouses	Carol Cooley Judi Conway
Education	University of Kentucky (BS)

Paul Edward Patton (born May 26, 1937) is an American politician. He served as the 59th governor of Kentucky from 1995 to 2003. He was the first governor allowed to run for a second term in office since James Garrard in 1800. This was possible because of a change to the Kentucky Constitution in 1992.

Since 2013, Patton has been the chancellor of the University of Pikeville in Pikeville, Kentucky. Before that, he was its president from 2010 to 2013. He also led the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education from 2009 to 2011.

After graduating from the University of Kentucky in 1959, Patton became successful by running coal mines for 20 years. In the late 1970s, he sold most of his coal businesses and entered politics. He worked briefly in Governor John Y. Brown Jr.'s team and led the state Democratic Party. In 1981, he was elected as the judge/executive of Pike County. He tried to become lieutenant governor in 1987 but didn't win. However, he was elected in 1991. He served as lieutenant governor and secretary of economic development at the same time, working with Governor Brereton Jones.

Four years later, Patton was elected Governor, winning against Larry Forgy. A big success during his first term was improving higher education. He made the state's community colleges and technical schools separate from the University of Kentucky. He then organized them into the Kentucky Community and Technical College System. After Patton won re-election in 1999, two Democratic state senators changed to the Republican Party. This gave Republicans a majority in the state Senate for the first time. The strong economy that helped Patton's first term slowed down in the early 2000s.

Early Life and Education

Paul Patton was born in Fallsburg, Kentucky on May 26, 1937. His home was a changed silo that had no indoor plumbing, electricity, or phone. He was the only son of Ward and Irene Patton's three children. His family moved often because his father, a teacher, was assigned to a different school each year.

When his father got a job with a railroad in Pike County, his parents decided his mother would stay in Fallsburg with the children until they finished school. Patton went to Fallsburg Elementary School, a four-room schoolhouse in his hometown. He was active in the 4-H club, where he started to get good at public speaking.

In 1951, he went to Louisa High School in Louisa, Kentucky. He was a good student and was part of the drama club. He also played football and baseball. He was class president during his senior year. In 1955, he graduated with the third-highest grades in his class of 73 students.

After high school, Patton attended the University of Kentucky. In the spring of 1956, he joined the Kappa Sigma fraternity. He tried to get a seat in the Student Government Association later that year, but he didn't win. In 1959, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering. Later, he received an honorary Doctor of Public Service degree from the University of Louisville.

Career in Business and Politics

Coal Industry Work

In 1959, after college, Patton started working for the Sizemore Mining Corporation. This company was owned by his father-in-law. In 1961, he moved to Virgie and started the Elkhorn Coal Company with his brother-in-law. In 1972, he bought Chapperal Coal Company. He became very successful during the coal boom that happened after the 1973 oil crisis.

He sold Chapperal in 1978. Then, he helped make Campbell Coal and Oil Supply a big supplier in eastern Kentucky. He became a leader in the coal industry. He served on the board of directors for the Kentucky Coal Association. He also led the Board of the National Independent Coal Operators Association. He was a member of the Kentucky Deep Mine Safety Commission. By 1976, he was president of the National Independent Coal Operators Association.

Patton was seen as more open-minded than most coal operators when it came to labor unions. Most of his mine workers were not union members. Those who were usually belonged to the Southern Labor Union, which was less confrontational than the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA).

On October 18, 1976, Patton filed for divorce from Carol Cooley. Their divorce was finalized on February 25, 1977. Later that year, Patton married Judi Jane Conway from Pikeville. She was a secretary at his Kentucky Elkhorn mine.

Starting in Politics

State Senator Kelsey Friend introduced Patton to politics. Friend helped Patton become a delegate to the 1972 Democratic National Convention. Friend also convinced Patton to help raise money for Walter "Dee" Huddleston's campaign for Congress.

As the coal boom began to slow down, Patton sold most of his coal businesses in 1978. He thought about running for governor in 1979 but decided he didn't have enough time to prepare. He joined Terry McBrayer's campaign. After McBrayer lost, Patton worked to help John Y. Brown Jr. win the election. Brown won, and Patton was appointed deputy secretary of transportation. He left after only three months because he disagreed with Brown's idea for a coal tax.

In late 1981, Governor Brown asked Patton to become vice-chair of the Kentucky Democratic Party. After some changes, Brown appointed Patton as the chairman. Patton served as chairman until 1983. During this time, he learned a lot about politics. He also met Andrew "Skipper" Martin, who would become an important advisor.

Pike County Judge/Executive

In 1981, Patton ran for county judge/executive of Pike County. He spent more money than the current judge, Wayne Rutherford, to win the Democratic primary. In the main election, he won more than 75 percent of the votes against Republican Jim Polley.

Within six months, Patton started the state's first mandatory county-wide garbage collection program. This was to stop illegal garbage dumping, which was a big problem. The program earned Patton praise across the state. When Patton ran for re-election in 1985, he again faced Rutherford in the Democratic primary. Rutherford campaigned against the garbage program, promising to end it. This might have hurt Rutherford, as many people saw the benefits of cleaner communities. Patton won the primary and then re-election, but by smaller margins than in 1981.

The Pike County courthouse underwent a $5 million renovation under Patton.

In his second term, Patton started an oil recycling program. He also created a work program for mothers receiving welfare, placing them in day care centers. He oversaw the building of a new jail and a $5 million renovation of the county courthouse. He brought the county its first manufacturing company. He also stopped the practice of giving away materials like gravel and lumber from county warehouses to private citizens. Other goals as judge/executive included building rural roads and recreation areas.

In 1987, Patton ran for Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky. In a crowded primary election, he finished third. He spent over $2 million of his own money, but he was outspent by Brereton Jones, who spent over $3 million. This was the most expensive primary in Kentucky history at that time.

After this loss, Patton returned to Pike County. In 1989, he was re-elected for a third term as judge/executive. He won over 70 percent of the vote in the Democratic primary and then won the general election by a large margin. He immediately started preparing for another run for lieutenant governor in 1991.

Lieutenant Governor Role

Patton sought the office of lieutenant governor again in 1991. In a primary with seven Democratic candidates, Attorney General Fred Cowan was the favorite. Just before the primary, news came out that Cowan's campaign had asked for money from a company his office was investigating. Patton defeated Cowan by a good margin.

In the general election, Patton faced Republican Eugene Goss. Goss criticized Patton for saying he would run for governor after his term as lieutenant governor. Goss said he would not seek the governorship if elected. Patton won the general election easily, getting 514,023 votes to Goss's 250,857.

After being elected lieutenant governor, Patton resigned as Pike County judge-executive. In the 1991 legislative session, he voted against a mandatory seat belt law, breaking a 19–19 tie. He was the last Kentucky lieutenant governor to lead the Kentucky Senate. A 1992 change to the state constitution created a new position, President of the Kentucky Senate, and removed this duty from the lieutenant governor.

In November 1991, Governor Brereton Jones appointed Patton as secretary of economic development. This made Patton the first lieutenant governor to also serve as a cabinet secretary. In this role, he encouraged using tax incentives to bring new businesses to the state. He also reorganized Kentucky's economic development efforts. He helped pass four new development programs and created the Kentucky Economic Development Partnership.

1995 Gubernatorial Election

When his term as lieutenant governor ended in 1995, Patton announced he would run for governor. The 1995 election was new in many ways because of a 1992 constitutional change. It was the first time in Kentucky history that the governor and lieutenant governor were elected together as a ticket. Another new rule said that if no candidate got at least 40 percent of the votes in their party's primary, the top two candidates would have a second election. Most importantly, for the first time, the winners could serve another term right after their first. Also, new campaign finance rules meant candidates would get public money and have limits on spending.

Patton chose Steve Henry, a surgeon and county commissioner, as his running mate. His main opponents in the Democratic primary were Secretary of State Bob Babbage and Senate President Pro Tempore John "Eck" Rose. Patton won 152,203 votes in the primary, which was more than the 40 percent needed to avoid a second election.

Patton was seen as the underdog in the general election. The year before, Republicans had gained control of both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. Also, many state Democrats had been involved in a political corruption investigation. Patton worried that voters would want a change after Democrats had been in charge of state government for 24 years.

Patton's opponent, Republican Larry Forgy, hurt his campaign by connecting himself with very conservative groups. This pushed away moderate voters. Forgy also openly opposed the Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA). Supporters of education reform, including some Republicans, left his campaign. They formed a group to support KERA. Traditional Democratic voters, like labor unions and African-Americans, strongly supported Patton. Patton also reminded voters about budget cuts by Congressional Republicans that affected older people. These issues helped Patton win the election with 500,787 votes to 479,227. It was the closest Kentucky governor's election in 32 years.

Governor of Kentucky

First Term (1995–1999)

Patton wanted to make education reforms early in his time as governor. His financial advisor, James R. Ramsey, convinced him to propose a careful budget first. They planned to make the state government more efficient. State employees worried this meant job cuts, but Patton promised no forced layoffs. He also expected it would be hard to convince lawmakers to spend $100 million on new equipment. However, when economists predicted a budget surplus for 1996, Patton agreed to use half of it for capital projects and the other half for government efficiency.

Patton created an Office for Technology and improved the state's computer systems. Investments of $23.3 million led to $300 million in state revenue. When Patton's efficiency program was fully in place, the state was getting 75 cents back for every dollar invested each year.

In December 1996, Patton called a special meeting of lawmakers to discuss worker's compensation reform. Both Patton and the lawmakers believed that the generous benefits in Kentucky made it hard for businesses. The reforms passed in the special session greatly reduced benefits. This included benefits for coal miners with black lung disease. Patton's support for this upset labor leaders, especially in eastern Kentucky's coal mining areas, who had been strong supporters. As the law took effect, Patton himself agreed it had gone too far. Changes were later made to the law in 2002.

Improving Education

In 1997, Patton began his goal of reforming the state's higher education system. He noticed that the state's community colleges, controlled by the University of Kentucky, and technical schools, controlled by the state, often competed in the same areas. He suggested taking the community colleges away from the university's control. Part of the plan was to upgrade technical schools to colleges, allowing them to give out associate's degrees. A new group, the Kentucky Community and Technical College System, would control these colleges.

Patton believed separating the community colleges from the University of Kentucky would help the university focus on becoming a top research university. The plan also aimed for the University of Louisville to become a well-known urban university. The state's Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE) would help stop programs from being duplicated and oversee improvements at the two main universities. The CPE also helped create the Kentucky Virtual University (now the Kentucky Virtual Campus) and the Kentucky Virtual Library. Patton's plan was called the Kentucky Postsecondary Education Improvement Act of 1997, or House Bill 1.

While smaller, regional universities supported House Bill 1, the University of Kentucky president, Charles T. Wethington Jr., and most community colleges opposed it. Patton talked with individual lawmakers until he was sure he had enough support in both parts of the Kentucky General Assembly. He then pushed forward and got the law passed.

Patton also helped pass other higher education measures. In 1998, he proposed a $100 million bond to fund the Research Challenge Trust Fund. This fund allowed state universities to hire researchers for special projects. The program, called "Bucks for Brains," required universities to match any money they got from the fund. The 1998 legislature also approved money for the Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarship (KEES) program. This program uses money from the Kentucky Lottery for scholarships. To get a KEES scholarship, students need at least a 2.5 grade point average in high school and must attend a college or university in Kentucky. The amount of the scholarship depends on high school grades, college entrance exam scores, and continued success in college. It can be renewed for up to eight college terms.

Patton's education reforms also included changes to the Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA). He wanted to address concerns without getting rid of the law. One main complaint about KERA was that it was hard to compare Kentucky's test scores with those from other states. Lawmakers passed a bill that added a part to the testing system. This allowed students' scores to be compared to national averages. Patton supported this version, which became law. The administration's strong support kept KERA from being seriously challenged again during Patton's term. In 2000, lawmakers tried to remove a rule against nepotism (hiring family members) in schools. The bill passed both houses, but Patton stopped it with a veto.

Because of his education reforms, Patton became chairman of the Southern Regional Education Board from 1997 to 1998. In 1999, he was chosen as chairman of the Education Commission of the States. He also led the National Education Goals Panel and a commission to study the high-school senior year.

In 1998, the state had a $200 million budget surplus. Patton used this money to help his allies in the legislature, which gave him a lot of power for his ideas. Lawmakers were also careful not to oppose him because they thought he would win re-election in 1999. So, Patton was able to get many ambitious laws passed in 1998. These included tougher criminal laws, better economic development, and more higher-education reform. Patton also used some of the surplus to provide computers for public classrooms. Because of his focus on education, Kentucky was the first state to have every public school classroom connected to the Internet. After this, Patton asked his education secretary to create the Kentucky Virtual High School. This system of distance education allowed students in smaller high schools to take classes like foreign languages that were only offered at larger schools. The virtual high school started in January 2000.

Patton's last education goal was to improve adult education. He worked with Republican senator David L. Williams on this. In 1998, Patton personally led a group on adult education. Eighteen months later, their ideas became a bill sponsored by Williams. The bill increased funding and linked continued funding to how well adult-education programs performed. It passed both houses of the General Assembly unanimously. By 2003, the number of adults getting their GED increased by 17 percent. The number of GED recipients who went to college also rose from 13 percent to 18 percent.

1999 Gubernatorial Election

Because of the constitutional change under Governor Brereton Jones, Patton became the first governor in over 200 years who could serve a second term right after his first. James Garrard had served consecutive terms in 1796 and 1800. However, the Kentucky Constitution of 1799 stopped any future governor from being elected to back-to-back terms. In 1796, Garrard was chosen by a group of electors, not by popular vote. So, Patton was the first Kentucky governor to be popularly elected for two terms in a row.

James Garrard was the only Kentucky governor to succeed himself in office prior to Patton, doing so in 1800.

Patton had no opponents in the Democratic primary. Republicans nominated Peppy Martin, who many thought was not a strong candidate. Even Patton's old Republican opponent, David Williams, said he would vote for Patton over Martin. In the general election, Patton received 352,099 votes, which was 60.6 percent of the total. Martin finished with 128,788 votes. When asked why Republicans chose such a weak challenger, Patton said, "They mistakenly believed I could not be beaten. They made a mistake."

Second Term as Governor

After Patton's re-election, two Democratic senators changed their party to Republican. This made the number of Democrats and Republicans in the Senate equal. Six weeks later, Senator Bob Leeper also changed his party. Patton tried to convince Leeper to stay a Democrat, but he couldn't. Leeper's change gave Republicans a majority in the Senate for the first time in the state's history. David Williams became President of the Senate and kept the Republican majority strong. This made it harder for Patton to get his plans through the divided General Assembly.

The disagreement between Williams and Patton became permanent during talks about the state budget in 1999. Patton suggested a 7-cent-per-gallon gasoline tax. One cent of every seven would go to counties with the most unpaved roads, which were often Republican counties. Patton believed Williams promised to get 10 votes in the Senate for the tax. But gas prices went up before the vote, and Williams didn't deliver the votes. Patton believed Williams had tricked him, and they never became friends again.

Another issue was how to spend federal money from the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement. Kentucky would get $3.5 billion over 25 years. Since tobacco was a major crop in Kentucky, Patton suggested using half the money to help farmers grow different crops. One-fourth of the money would go to health care and anti-smoking efforts. The last fourth would help with early-childhood care and education, a cause important to Patton's daughter, Nikki.

In November 2000, Kentucky voters approved a constitutional change. This meant shorter legislative sessions in odd-numbered years and longer sessions in even-numbered years. Most of Patton's ideas failed in the 2000 and 2001 legislative sessions. The strong economy that had provided money for his programs during his first term slowed down in 2001. By 2002, the state was $800 million short of its budget. In 2002, Republicans in the General Assembly called for an end to public campaign finance to save money. They said it was "welfare for politicians" and could save the state $30 million. This issue stopped the budget from being approved during the regular legislative session. In April 2002, Patton called a special session to approve the budget, but lawmakers still couldn't agree. For the first time, the state started its fiscal year without a budget. This meant Patton had to run the state government for a year without a budget in place.

Another bill that failed in 2002 was one to end the death penalty for young people. In 2003, Patton announced he would change a young person's sentence. Patton did oversee the execution of two adult prisoners, Harold McQueen Jr. in 1997 and Eddie Lee Harper in 1999. This made him the first Kentucky governor to do so since 1962.

Less Influence in Lawmaking

Because of the slowing national economy, Kentucky faced a big budget problem in 2003. Patton suggested changing the state tax system so that tax money would grow with the economy. However, such changes would mean tax increases. With the 2003 governor's election coming, lawmakers from both parties promised not to raise taxes. So, in 2003, the General Assembly created a budget that ignored Patton's ideas. The budget also included ending the campaign finance reform law passed ten years earlier. Patton admitted, "I have lost any ability to influence the legislature."

Pardons for Campaign Finance Violations

In June 2003, Patton gave pardons to four men who were accused of breaking campaign finance laws during the 1995 governor's race. These accusations came from Larry Forgy, who said Patton had avoided campaign finance laws by working with the Teamsters and the state Democratic Party. A Franklin County grand jury made the accusations in 1998. A court dismissed them in 1999, saying the law was too unclear. An appeals court reversed that decision, and in 2003, the Kentucky Supreme Court upheld the accusations. The Supreme Court of the United States refused to hear an appeal on June 13, 2003. Two days later, Patton pardoned all four men.

Later Career

Patton had said he planned to run against Republican U.S. Senator Jim Bunning in 2004. However, issues near the end of his time as governor stopped those plans. He moved to Pikeville, Kentucky, after Ernie Fletcher became the next governor. He became a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Pikeville. He also joined the Big Sandy Regional Economic Development Board and led the Pikeville/Pike County Industrial and Economic Authority.

Governor Ernie Fletcher renamed a part of U.S. Route 119 in eastern Kentucky as the Paul E. Patton Highway in 2008. On February 1, 2009, Patton was chosen as chairman of the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE). On August 12, 2009, he was announced as the next president of Pikeville College (now the University of Pikeville). In September 2009, an ethics commission said Patton could serve in both roles without a major conflict of interest. They advised him to let someone else be the main contact between the University of Pikeville and the CPE. They also said he should not take part in CPE discussions that directly involved his private school.

University of Pikeville Leadership

Patton officially became president of the University of Pikeville on February 16, 2010. He also teaches public policy and leadership there. As president, Patton oversaw the building of the Expo Center, a new facility for the university's indoor sports. In 2011, the center's basketball court was named Paul E. Patton Court.

In late 2011, Patton announced that he and Speaker of the Kentucky House of Representatives Greg Stumbo would ask the General Assembly to consider adding the University of Pikeville as the ninth state-supported university in Kentucky. On December 30, 2011, he resigned from the Council on Postsecondary Education. This was to avoid any possible accusations of a conflict of interest regarding the proposal.

In 2013, Patton announced he would step down as president of the university and instead serve as chancellor. Because he had supported the university's sports programs for a long time, he was inducted into the university's Athletics Hall of Fame in 2014. In January 2015, the university announced it would move its teacher training program. It created the new Patton College of Education, which was set to open in the fall of 2015.

Personal Life

After his second year of college, Paul Patton married Carol Cooley. She was the daughter of a Floyd County, Kentucky, coal mine operator. They had two children together: Nikki and Christopher.

See also