Appendix B
Former Transportation Secretaries & Commissioners Commonwealth of Kentucky
Chief Administrative Officers* of
Department of Public Roads
Department of State Roads and Highways
State Highway Department
Department of Highways
Department of Transportation
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet
*Secretaries, Commissioners, and Chairmen
Researched and Submitted by James H. Havens and W. B. Drake
November 8, 1988
107 CHAIRMAN FROM !Q GOVERNOR Robert C. Terrell 6-21-12 7-1-16 James B. McCreary Commissioner
Rodman Wiley 7-1-16 9-1-19 Augustus 0. Stanley Commissioner
Josephus (Joe) S. Boggs* 9-1-19 6-17-20 Edwin P. Morrow Commissioner
Single Commissioner System ended July 1, 1920; Changed to Department of State Roads, Division of Highways September 1920
H. Green Garrett 6-17-20 12-10-23 Edwin P. Morrow Chairman, State Highway Commission (4 members)
Leslie B. Samuels 12-10-23 2-10-24 W. J. Fields Chairman
W. C. Montgomery 2-6-24 6-1-27 W. J. Fields Chairman Flemon D. Sampson
Legislature changed title to State Highway Department; State Highway Commission retained
Ben Johnson 6-7-27 12-5-29 Flemon D. Sampson Chairman
James A Scott 12-5-29** 3-14-30 Flemon D. Sampson Chairman
108 CHAIRMAN FROM IQ GOVERNOR Ben Johnson 3-14-30 1-28-32 Flemon D. Sampson Chairman
Commission of four replaced by Commission of eight; 1932 Legislature expanded Commission to nine
Ben Johnson 2-3-32 12-7-34 Ruby Laffoon Chairman
Tom Rhea 12-7-34 4-1-35 Ruby Laffoon Chairman
J. L. Donaldson 4-1-35 1-31-36 Ruby Laffoon Chairman A B. Chandler
Ben Johnson 1-30-36 7-1-36 AB. Chandler Chairman (Acting)
Nine-member Advisory Commission appointed
Robert Humphreys 7-1-36 1-1-40 AB. Chandler Commissioner Keen Johnson
J. L. Donaldson 1-1-40 4-1-43 Keen Johnson Commissioner Simeon S. Willis
Richard Williams, Jr. 4-1-43 12-8-43 Simeon S. Willis Commissioner
Legislation 1944, Governor Willis abolished Commission
109 CHAIRMAN FROM !Q GOVERNOR J. Steve Watkins 12-8-43 12-10-47 Simeon S. Willis Commissioner
Garrett Withers 12-10-47 1-19-49 Simeon S. Willis Commissioner Earle C. Clements
John A Keck 1-19-49 2-15-51 Earle C. Clements Commissioner
William P. Curlin 2-15-51 11-15-54 Earle C. Clements Commissioner Lawrence Weatherby
Mitchell W. Tinder 11-15-54 12-13-55 Earle C. Clements Commissioner Lawrence Weatherby
Robert Humphreys 12-13-55 6-21-56 Lawrence Weatherby Commissioner A B. Chandler
Legislature Special Session, established Highway Advisory Commission and 8 Highway Districts July 15, 1956
Bert Kiser 6-21-56 11-20-56 A B. Chandler Commissioner
Robert Humphreys 11-20-56 11-13-57 A B. Chandler Commissioner
James W. Martin 11-13-57 6-30-58 A B. Chandler Commissioner
110 CHAIRMAN FROM IQ GOVERNOR Nard J. Oates 6-30-58 12-9-59 A B. Chandler Commissioner Bert T. Combs
Governor Combs abandoned Advisory Commission
Earle C. Clements 12-9-59 9-1-60 Bert T. Combs Commissioner
Henry Ward 9-1-60 11-10-66 Bert T. Combs Commissioner Edward Breathitt
Mitchell Tinder 11-11-66 12-12-67 Edward Breathitt Commissioner Louie B. Nunn
William B. Hazelrigg 12-13-67 3-5-69 Louie B. Nunn Commissioner
Eugene Goss 3-6-69 8-15-70 Louie B. Nunn Commissioner
B. E. King 8-14-70 12-6-71 Louie B. Nunn Commissioner Wendell H. Ford
Charles Pryor 12-7-71 3-14-73 Wendell H. Ford Commissioner
March 16, 1973 Governor Wendell H. Ford by Executive Order reorganized State Government, creating a Department of Transportation
111 CHAIRMAN FROM I2 GOVERNOR Eljah M. Hogge 3-16-73 1-2-74 Wendell H. Ford Secretary of Transportation
James E. Gray 3-16-73 6-6-74 Wendell H. Ford Commissioner
James E. Gray 1-2-74 6-6-74 Wendell H. Ford Secretary of Transportation
Billy R. Paxton 1-6-74 1-3-75 Wendell H. Ford Commissioner
Billy R. Paxton 6-6-74 2-28-75 Wendell H. Ford Secretary of Transportation
John C. Roberts 1-3-75 3-14-77 Julian M. Carroll Commissioner
John C. Roberts 3-3-75 3-14-77 Julian M. Carroll Secretary of Transportation
Calvin G. Grayson 3-15-77 12-31-79 Julian M. Carroll Secretary of Transportation & Commissioner
Frank Metts 12-11-79 10-6-82 John Y. Brown, Jr. Secretary of Transportation
July 16, 1982 Governor John Y. Brown changed the names of departments to cabinets • creating the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet
112 CHAIRMAN FROM !Q GOVERNOR Dean Huff 4-21-80 12-12-83 John Y. Brown, Jr. Commissioner
James Runke 10-6-82 12-12-83 John Y. Brown, Jr. Secretary of Transportation
Floyd G. Poore 12-13-83 5-31-85 Martha L. Collins Secretary of Transportation
Stephen Reeder 12-13-83 Present Martha L. Collins Commissioner
C. Leslie Dawson 5-10-85 1-13-88 Martha L. Collins Secretary of Transportation
Milo D. Bryant 1-14-88 Present Wallace Wilkinson Secretary of Transportation
• Signed Third and Fourth Biennial Reports as Commissioner of Public Roads •• Became a Commissioner in June 1929; was elected Chairman on December 5, 1929
113