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
Preceded by	Michael M. Looney
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 in Kentucky history allowed to run for a second term. This was possible because of a change to the state's constitution in 1992. Since 2013, he has been the chancellor of the University of Pikeville. Before that, he was its president from 2010 to 2013. He also led the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education from 2009 to 2011.

After finishing college in 1959, Patton became successful by running coal mines for 20 years. He sold most of his coal businesses in the late 1970s. Then, he entered politics. He worked briefly for Governor John Y. Brown Jr. and led the state Democratic Party. In 1981, he was elected to lead Pike County. He tried to become lieutenant governor in 1987 but was not successful. 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. A major success of his first term was improving higher education. He made the state's community colleges and technical schools separate from the University of Kentucky. He organized them into the Kentucky Community and Technical College System. After his re-election in 1999, the state's economy slowed down. This made it harder for him to pass new laws.

Early Life and Education

Paul Patton was born in Fallsburg, Kentucky, on May 26, 1937. His family lived in a converted silo that did not have indoor plumbing or electricity. He was the only son of Ward and Irene Patton, who had three children. His family moved often because his father, a teacher, was assigned to a different school each year.

Patton went to Fallsburg Elementary School. He was active in the 4-H club, where he learned to speak well in public. In 1951, he started at Louisa High School in Louisa, Kentucky. He was a good student and played football and baseball. He was also class president in his senior year. He graduated in 1955 with high grades.

After high school, Patton attended the University of Kentucky. In 1959, he earned a degree in mechanical engineering. Later, he received an honorary Doctor of Public Service degree from the University of Louisville.

Career Beginnings

Working in Coal Mining

In 1959, after college, Patton started working in a coal mine owned by his father-in-law. In 1961, he started the Elkhorn Coal Company with his brother-in-law. He bought Chapperal Coal Company in 1972. He became very wealthy during the coal boom that followed the 1973 oil crisis. He sold Chapperal in 1978. He then helped grow Campbell Coal and Oil Supply into a big business in eastern Kentucky.

Patton became a leader in the coal industry. He served on the board of the Kentucky Coal Association. He also led the National Independent Coal Operators Association. He believed that some federal rules for coal mining were not helpful.

In 1977, Patton married Judi Jane Conway. She was a secretary at his Kentucky Elkhorn mine.

Entering Politics

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

As the coal business slowed down, Patton sold most of his coal interests in 1978. He thought about running for governor in 1979 but decided he did not have enough time to prepare. He joined John Y. Brown Jr.'s campaign, and after Brown won, Patton was appointed deputy secretary of transportation. He left this job after three months because he disagreed with Brown's plan for a coal tax.

In 1981, Governor Brown asked Patton to lead the Kentucky Democratic Party. Patton served as chairman until 1983. During this time, he learned a lot about politics.

Leading Pike County

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

In 1981, Patton ran to be the leader of Pike County. He won the election by a large margin.

Within six months, Patton started the state's first county-wide garbage collection program. This helped stop illegal garbage dumping in the county. This program earned him praise across the state. When he ran for re-election in 1985, he won again.

In his second term, Patton started an oil recycling program. He also created a work program for mothers receiving welfare. 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 focused on building rural roads and recreation areas.

In 1987, Patton ran for Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky. He spent a lot of his own money on the campaign but did not win.

After this, Patton returned to Pike County. In 1989, he was re-elected for a third term as county leader. He won by a very large margin. He then started preparing to run for lieutenant governor again in 1991.

Serving as Lieutenant Governor

Patton ran for lieutenant governor again in 1991. He won the Democratic primary election.

In the general election, Patton faced Republican Eugene Goss. Patton won by a large number of votes.

After becoming lieutenant governor, Patton resigned from his Pike County job. As lieutenant governor, he used to lead the Senate. However, a 1992 change to the state constitution created a new position, President of the Kentucky Senate. This meant the lieutenant governor no longer led the Senate.

In November 1991, Governor Brereton Jones appointed Patton as secretary of economic development. This was the first time a lieutenant governor also served as a cabinet secretary. In this role, Patton encouraged using tax incentives to bring new businesses to Kentucky. He also worked to improve how Kentucky handled economic development.

1995 Governor Election

In 1995, Patton announced he would run for governor. This election was special for several reasons. It was the first time the governor and lieutenant governor ran together as a team. Also, for the first time in Kentucky history, the winners could serve another term right after their first. New rules also meant candidates could get public money for their campaigns.

Patton chose Steve Henry as his running mate. Patton won the Democratic primary election with enough votes to avoid a second round.

In the general election, Patton was seen as the underdog. However, his opponent, Republican Larry Forgy, made some choices that hurt his campaign. Patton reminded voters about budget cuts that affected older people. These issues helped Patton win the election. It was a very close race. Patton was the first governor from eastern Kentucky since 1959.

Governor of Kentucky

First Term (1995–1999)

Patton wanted to improve education. His financial adviser helped him plan a careful budget. They worked to make the state government more efficient. Patton promised no one would lose their job because of these changes. He invested money to improve the state's computer systems. These investments helped the state save and earn a lot of money.

In 1996, Patton called a special meeting to change worker's compensation laws. These changes reduced benefits, including for coal miners with black lung disease. Patton later agreed that the law went too far. Changes were made to the law in 2002.

Improving Education

In 1997, Patton began his plan to improve higher education. He noticed that the state's community colleges and technical schools often competed with each other. He suggested taking the community colleges away from the University of Kentucky's control. His plan also involved upgrading technical schools so they could offer degrees. A new group, the Kentucky Community and Technical College System, would manage these colleges. Patton believed this would help the University of Kentucky become a top research university. The plan also aimed for the University of Louisville to become a nationally recognized urban university.

Patton's plan was called the Kentucky Postsecondary Education Improvement Act of 1997. Many people, including the University of Kentucky, did not like the plan at first. But Patton worked with lawmakers and got the plan passed.

Patton also passed other education laws. In 1998, he proposed a $100 million fund to help universities hire researchers. This program was called "Bucks for Brains." The 1998 legislature also approved money for the Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarship (KEES) program. This program uses money from the Kentucky Lottery to give scholarships to students. To get a KEES scholarship, students need good grades in high school and must attend a college in Kentucky.

Patton's education changes were not just for colleges. He also wanted to improve the Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA). He supported changes that would allow Kentucky's student test scores to be compared to national scores. This helped KERA stay strong during his time as governor. In 2000, lawmakers tried to remove a rule against nepotism in school hiring. Patton stopped this by using his veto power.

Because of his work in education, Patton became the leader of several national education groups. He led the Southern Regional Education Board and the Education Commission of the States. He also chaired the National Education Goals Panel.

In 1998, Kentucky had a lot of extra money in its budget. Patton used this money to help his plans pass. He also used some of it to buy computers for public classrooms. Because of Patton, Kentucky was the first state to have every public school classroom connected to the Internet. He then created the Kentucky Virtual High School. This allowed students in smaller high schools to take courses like foreign languages online. The virtual high school started in January 2000.

Patton also worked to improve adult education. He led a task force on adult education. Their ideas became a bill that increased funding for adult education programs. By 2003, more adults were earning their GED and going to college.

Improving Justice Systems

Patton also wanted to improve Kentucky's system for young offenders. He built nine new centers for young people who had committed crimes. He also made sure state employees who worked with young people received special training. In 2001, the U.S. Attorney General said Kentucky's system for young offenders was a good example for the nation.

Patton also worked on laws for adult criminals. He supported a bill that made violent offenders serve at least 85 percent of their sentences. The bill also allowed judges to sentence criminals to life without parole. This bill became law in 1999.

1999 Governor Election

Patton was the first governor in over 200 years who could run for a second term. James Garrard had served two terms in 1796 and 1800, but the rules were different then. So, Patton was the first Kentucky governor to be elected by popular vote for two terms in a row.

Patton ran without opposition in the Democratic primary. He won the general election with a large percentage of the votes.

Second Term as Governor

After the 1999 election, two state senators changed from Democrat to Republican. This gave Republicans a majority in the Senate for the first time in Kentucky's history. This made it harder for Patton to pass his plans.

The economy slowed down in 2001. By 2002, the state had a large budget shortage. In 2002, lawmakers could not agree on a budget. For the first time, the state started a new financial year without a budget in place. This meant Patton had to run the state government for a year without a set budget.

Patton did oversee the execution of two adult prisoners. This made him the first Kentucky governor to do so since 1962.

Challenges and Later Years

Patton faced challenges during his second term. In 2002, news came out about a past personal matter. Patton admitted to it in a press conference. This made him the subject of jokes and criticism.

Despite this, other governors supported him. He was leading the National Governors Association at the time. He continued to lead the group effectively.

Patton had planned to run for U.S. Senator in 2004. However, the challenges he faced at the end of his term changed those plans. He retired to Pikeville, Kentucky.

Governor Ernie Fletcher later named a section of U.S. Route 119 in eastern Kentucky the Paul E. Patton Highway in 2008. In 2009, Patton was chosen to lead the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education. He was also announced as the next president of Pikeville College (now the University of Pikeville).

Leading the University of Pikeville

Patton officially became president of the University of Pikeville on February 16, 2010. He also teaches there. As president, Patton oversaw the building of the Expo Center, a new sports facility. In 2011, the basketball court there was named Paul E. Patton Court.

In 2011, Patton announced that he would ask the state legislature to consider making the University of Pikeville a state-supported university. To avoid any conflicts of interest, he resigned from the Council on Postsecondary Education in 2011.

In 2013, Patton announced he would step down as president and serve as chancellor instead. In 2014, he was inducted into the university's Athletics Hall of Fame. In 2015, the university created the new Patton College of Education, named after him.

Personal Life

After his second year of college, Paul Patton married Carol Cooley. They had two children, Nikki and Christopher.

See also