- Carl D. Perkins
Carl Dewey Perkins (
October 15 ,1912 -August 3 ,1984 ), a Democrat, was apolitician and member of theUnited States House of Representatives from the state ofKentucky .Early Years
Perkins was born in
Hindman, Kentucky . He attended theKnott County, Kentucky grade schools, Hindman High School, Caney Junior College (nowAlice Lloyd College ),Lees Junior College and graduated from Jefferson School of Law (now theUniversity of Louisville Law School) in 1935.Perkins was admitted to the bar in 1935 and commenced the practice of law in his hometown of
Hindman, KY . In 1939 Perkins served an unexpired term asCommonwealth's Attorney for the thirty-first judicial circuit. He was elected to theKentucky House of Representatives in 1940 and was then elected KnottCounty Attorney in 1941 and reelected in 1945. Perkins resigned the county attorney's office on January 1, 1948 to become counsel for the Kentucky Department of Highways.During
World War II Perkins enlisted in theUnited States Army and saw service inEurope .Congress
In 1948 Perkins ran against the incumbent Congressman from Kentucky's 7th District,
Wendell H. Meade . Perkins unseated Meade and was elected as a Democrat to the Eighty-first and to the seventeen succeeding Congresses and served from January 3, 1949, until his death. Perkins was the chairman of the Committee on Education and Labor (Ninetieth through Ninety-eighth Congresses, 1967-1984). While a part of the committee, his work helped produce theEconomic Opportunity Act of 1964 andHead Start . The local Head Start in his home city of Hindman, Kentucky is named after Congressman Perkins.Death
Perkins was a resident of
Hindman, Kentucky until his death on August 3, 1984 inLexington, Kentucky . He is buried at Mountain Memory Gardens in Hindman, Kentucky.Many notable legislators from across the country such as Senator
Ted Kennedy , Speaker of the HouseTip O'Neill , and House Majority LeaderJim Wright and CongressmanWilliam H. Natcher among others came to his funeral which was held inHindman Kentucky at Knott County Central High School's home gym the Morton Combs Athletic Complex. The capacity of the gym is 5,000 and it breached capacity that day. Local Pastors such as Rev. J.S. Bell and Rev. Archie Everage delivered the message to the capacity crowd.Perkins was succeeded in office by his son
Carl C. Perkins .Legacy
Perkins's legacy of support to education and the under-privileged is shown by the federal
student loan called thePerkins Loan , named for him, as is theCarl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act of 2006 , which provides federal money forcareer technical education schooling. TheCarl D. Perkins Bridge crossing theOhio River , the Carl D. Perkins Building on the campus ofEastern Kentucky University , and theCarl D. Perkins Federal Building and United States Courthouse inAshland, Kentucky are named after him. The vocational school in Hindman, Kentucky at Knott County Central High School, Carl D. PerkinsJob Corps at Prestonsburg and Carl D. Perkins Rehab Center at Thelma are also named in his honor.Carl D. Perkins' grave site is in
Hindman, Kentucky in a public cemetery named "Mountain Memory Gardens". Although, when orginianally buried he was buried at a private cemetery near his home in Hindman. In 2007 Congressman Perkins's body was moved to where he is presently buried at in Mountain Memory Gardens. Verna J. Perkins sold the old house and the land. Verna has since retired to a home for the elderly in Lexington.External links
*findagrave|7090811 Retrieved on
2008-01-24
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