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Adjutant General of Kentucky

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Adjutant General of the Commonwealth of Kentucky
Seal of the Office of the Adjutant General of the Commonwealth of Kentucky
General officer flag
Incumbent
Major General Haldane B. Lamberton
since December 10, 2019 (2019-12-10)
Kentucky National Guard
SeatFrankfort, Kentucky
AppointerGovernor of Kentucky
Term lengthFour years or end of appointing governor's term
Formation1793
First holderPercival Pierce Butler

The Adjutant General of the Commonwealth of Kentucky is the head of the Kentucky National Guard. Established in 1793, the adjutant general is appointed by the Governor of Kentucky to a term that expires alongside that of the appointing governor.

The current adjutant general is Major General Haldane B. Lamberton, who was appointed by Governor Andy Beshear on December 10, 2019.[1]

History

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Formation

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The first constitution of Kentucky, ratified in April 1792, named the Governor of Kentucky as commander-in-chief of the army, navy, and militia of the commonwealth and granted them the authority to appoint field and staff officers.

While the exact date is unknown, Governor Isaac Shelby appointed Percival Pierce Butler as Kentucky's first adjutant general. The first official act taken by General Pierce is recorded to have been in March 1793.[2]

Notable adjutants general and events

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In 1851, Governor John L. Helm appointed future Supreme Court Justice John Marshall Harlan to the position at the age of 18 despite the fact that he had no prior experience serving in public office, and his only military experience was limited training for the Mexican–American War.[3]

Samuel Ewing Hill, who served in the position from 1887 to 1891, is sometimes pointed to as the origin of the euphemism, "Sam Hill." General Hill was tasked by Governor Simon Bolivar Buckner to investigate the Hatfield-McCoy feud following a threat by West Virginia Governor Emanuel Willis Wilson to send the state militia across the Kentucky border to resolve the situation. From this, some newspapers began to question "what in the Sam Hill is going on," when reporting on the feud.[4]

From February 3 to May 22, 1900, the office of adjutant general was contested as part of the wider disputes that resulted from the assignation of Governor William Goebel. General Daniel Collier –who was appointed by Governor William S. Taylor– and General John Breckinridge Castleman –appointed by Governor J. C. W. Beckham– each claimed the office. Following the decision of the United States Supreme Court in Taylor v. Beckham, Collier conceded the office to Castleman. Notably, both men had previously served as adjutant general in past administrations.[2]

Beginning with the promotion of Adjutant General Roscoe L. Murray in 1950, all future adjutants general would automatically be commissioned as a major general.[5]

Appointment and qualifications

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Kentucky Revised Statutes Chapter 36, Section 020 stipulates each governor must appoint an adjutant general immediately upon taking office. For the appointee to be eligible for the position they must have:

  • Served at least 10 years in the Kentucky National Guard;
  • Have attained the rank of lieutenant colonel;
  • Have not been separated from the Kentucky National Guard for more than five years;
  • Meet the federal requirements for their current rank as well as the ranks of brigadier general and major general.[6]

List of adjutants general

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No. Portrait Name Term of office Governor(s) served
1 Percival Pierce Butler[2] 1793 – 1817 Isaac Shelby
James Garrard
Christopher Greenup
Charles Scott
Isaac Shelby
George Madison
Gabriel Slaughter
2 Oliver G. Waggener[2] 1817 – 1828 Gabriel Slaughter
John Adair
Joseph Desha
3 Preston S. Loughborough[2] 1828 – 1829 Joseph Desha
4 Peter Dudley[2] 1829 – 1851 Thomas Metcalf
John Breathitt
James T. Morehead
James Clark
Charles A. Wickliffe
Robert P. Letcher
William Owsley
John J. Crittenden
John L. Helm
5 John Marshall Harlan[3][2] 1851 – 1859 John L. Helm
Lazarus W. Powell
Charles S. Morehead
6 Scott Brown[2] 1859 – 1861 Beriah Magoffin
7 John William Finnell[2] 1861 – 1863 Beriah Magoffin
James F. Robinson
8 John Boyle[2] 1863 – 1864 Thomas E. Bramlette
9 Daniel Weisiger Lindsey[2] 1864 – 1867 Thomas E. Bramlette
10 Frank Lane Wolford[2] 1867 – 1870 John W. Stevenson
11 Josiah Stoddard Johnston[2] 1870 – 1871 John W. Stevenson
12 James Allen Dawson[2] 1871 – 1875 Preston H. Leslie
13 John Montgomery Wright[2] 1875 – 1879 James B. McCreary
14 Joseph Preyer Nuckols[2] 1879 – 1883 Luke P. Blackburn
15 John Breckenridge Castleman[2] 1883 – 1887 J. Proctor Knott
16 Samuel Ewing Hill[2] 1887 – 1891 Simon Bolivar Buckner
17 Andrew Jackson Gross[2] 1891 – 1893 John Y. Brown
18 John Crepps Wickliffe[2] 1893 – 1894 John Y. Brown
19 Andrew Jackson Gross[2] 1894 – 1895 John Y. Brown
20 Daniel Ray Collier[2][7] 1895 – 1898 William O'Connell Bradley
21 Wilbur Rush Smith[2][7] 1898[a] William O' Connell Bradley
22 Daniel Ray Collier[2][8] 1898 – 1900[b] William O' Connell Bradley
Williams S. Taylor
William Goebel
J. C. W. Beckham
23 John Breckenridge Castleman[2] 1900[c] William Goebel
J. C. W. Beckham
24 David Rodman Murray Jr.[2] 1900 – 1903 J. C. W. Beckham
25 William Purcell "Percy" Dennis Haly[2] 1903 – 1906 J. C. W. Beckham
26 Henry Robert Lawrence[2][9] 1906 – 1907 J. C. W. Beckham
27 Philip Preston Johnston[2][10] 1907 – 1912 Augustus E. Wilson
28 William Birch Haldeman[2][11] 1912 – 1914 James B. McCreary
29 James Tandy Ellis[2][12] 1914 – 1919 Augustus O. Stanley
James D. Black
30 James Madison DeWeese[2][12] 1919 – 1920 Edwin P. Morrow
31 Isaac Wilder[2][12] 1920 Edwin P. Morrow
32 Jackson Morris[2][12] 1920 – 1923 Edwin P. Morrow
33 Jouett Henry[2][12] 1923 – 1924 William J. Fields
34 James Arthur Kehoe[2][13] 1924 – 1927 William J. Fields
35 William Henry Jones Jr.[2][12] 1927 – 1932 Flem D. Sampson
Ruby Laffoon
36 Henry H. Denhardt[2][12] 1932 – 1935 Ruby Laffoon
37 George Lee McLain[2][14] 1935 – 1939 Albert "Happy" Chandler
38 John Arthur Polin[2][14] 1939 – 1944 Keen Johnson
39 Gustavus Herbert May[2][15] 1944 – 1947 Simeon Willis
40 Roscoe Lee Murray[2][5] 1947 – 1951 Earle C. Clements
Lawrence W. Wetherby
41 Jesse Scott Lindsey[2][16] 1951 – 1955 Lawrence W. Wetherby
42 John Jacob Bethurum Williams[2][12] 1955 – 1959 Albert "Happy" Chandler
43 Arthur Young Lloyd[2][17] 1959 – 1967 Bert Combs
Edward T. Breathitt
44 Allan Kenneth Carrell[2][18] 1967 – 1968 Louie Nunn
45 Larry Clark Dawson[2][19] 1968 – 1971 Louie Nunn
46 Richard L. Frymire Jr.[2][20] 1971 – 1977 Wendell Ford
Julian Carroll
47 Billy Gene Wellman[2][21] 1977 – 1987 Julian Carroll
John Y. Brown Jr.
Martha Layne Collins
48 Michael Walker Davidson[2][22] 1987 – 1991 Wallace G. Wilkinson
49 Tebbs Shewmaker Moore[2][23] 1991 Wallace G. Wilkinson
50 Robert Louis DeZarn[2][24] 1991 – 1995 Brerton C. Jones
51 John Russell Groves Jr.[2][25] 1995 – 2001 Paul Patton
52 Dean Allen Youngman[2] 2001 – 2003 Paul Patton
53 Donald C. Storm[26] 2003 – 2007 Ernie Fletcher
54 Edward W. Tonini[27] 2007 – 2015 Steve Beshear
55 Stephen R. Hogan[28] 2015 – 2019 Matt Bevin
56 Haldane B. Lamberton[1][29] 2019 – Present Andy Beshear

References

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  1. ^ a b "Maj. Gen. Haldane (Hal) B. Lamberton, The Adjutant General - Kentucky Department of Military Affairs". www.dma.ky.gov. Retrieved 2024-07-14.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb Kentucky Department of Military Affairs - Combined Annual Reports Fiscal Years 2001-2003 (PDF). Frankfort, Kentucky: Kentucky Department of Military Affairs. 2003. pp. 131–137.
  3. ^ a b Farelly, David G. (1957). "A Sketch of John Marshall Harlan's Pre-Court Career". Vanderbilt Law Review. 10 (2).
  4. ^ "What in Sam Hill ... started the Hatfield and McCoy Feud?". Kentucky.gov. Archived from the original on 4 June 2012. Retrieved 3 June 2012.
  5. ^ a b "Former Official Murrary Dies". Messenger-Inquirer. November 8, 1987. p. 25. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
  6. ^ "Kentucky Revised Statutes Chapter 36, Section 020". Legislative Research Commission. Retrieved July 20, 2024.
  7. ^ a b "Collier Resigns as Adjutant General - Wilbur R. Smith Appointed". The Courier-Journal. September 9, 1898. p. 3. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
  8. ^ "General Dan Collier Dead". The Atlanta Constitution. January 24, 1920.
  9. ^ "Speaker Lawrence Becomes Adjutant General". Hopkinsville Kentuckian. April 21, 1906. p. 1.
  10. ^ "Major P.P. Johnston, CSA". KY Historical Society. Retrieved 2024-07-14.
  11. ^ "W.B. Haldeman". Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA. Retrieved 2024-07-14.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h Trowbridge, John M. Searching for Poncho: The Kentucky National Guard (PDF). Frankfort, Kentucky: Kentucky National Guard.
  13. ^ Trowbridge, John M. (November 2, 2020). "The Extraordinary Life of James Arthur Kehoe, Kentucky's 31st Adjutant General". Kentucky National Guard. Retrieved 2024-07-14.
  14. ^ a b "Successor Set for McClain - J. A. Polin to be Named Adjutant General". The Cincinnati Enquirer. December 7, 1939. p. 1. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
  15. ^ Arrington, Charles W.; LeMay, Jason M.; Trowbridge, John M. (April 2007). A Brief History of the Kentucky Air National Guard - Fortune Favors the Brave (PDF). Frankfort, Kentucky: Kentucky National Guard. p. 24.
  16. ^ "Former Adjutant General, Jesse Lindsay, Dies at 90". Lexington Herald-Leader. March 1, 1992.
  17. ^ "Two Units Pull State Duty Following Savage Tornado" (PDF). The Kentucky Guardsman. 1 (3): 1.
  18. ^ "Obituary - William Pfingst Carrell". Pearson Funeral Home. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
  19. ^ Trowbridge, John M. (2010). Kentucky Thunder in Vietnam: History of 2nd Battalion, 138th Field Artillery in the Vietnam War: 1968 – 1969 (PDF). Frankfort, Kentucky: Kentucky National Guard. pp. 130–132.
  20. ^ "Richard L. Frymire, Jr., 1952 - Centre College 1998 Distinguished Alumni". Centre College. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
  21. ^ "Kentucky National Guard mourns death of retired Adjutant General, Maj. Gen. Billy Wellman". Kentucky Guard. Retrieved 2024-07-14.
  22. ^ "Brigadier General Michael W. Davidson" (PDF). National Guard Bureau.
  23. ^ Advocate-Messenger (2020-08-12). "Tebbs S. Moore". The Advocate-Messenger. Retrieved 2024-07-14.
  24. ^ "Obituary - Robert Louis DeZarn". Fox Funeral Home. May 28, 2009. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
  25. ^ "Major General John R. Groves, Jr". www.nationalguard.mil. Retrieved 2024-07-14.
  26. ^ "Major General Donald C. Storm". www.nationalguard.mil. Retrieved 2024-07-14.
  27. ^ "Major General Edward W. Tonini". www.nationalguard.mil. Retrieved 2024-07-14.
  28. ^ "Major General Stephen R. Hogan". www.nationalguard.mil. Retrieved 2024-07-14.
  29. ^ "Major General Haldane B. Lamberton". www.nationalguard.mil. Retrieved 2024-07-14.

Notes

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  1. ^ Smith served from September 9 to November 1, 1898.
  2. ^ Collier reappointed on November 1, 1898, by Governor Bradley and on December 13,1899, by Governor Taylor. Office was disputed between Collier and Castleman from February 3 to May 22, 1900.
  3. ^ Castleman formally assumed uncontested office on May 22, 1900, following decision Taylor v. Beckham. He remained in office until November 30.
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