The Jackson Purchase Historical Society will meet Saturday, September 26 in the Community Room of the Graves County Public Library, 601 North 17th Street, Mayfield, Kentucky beginning at 10:30. The speaker will be Kentucky Supreme Court Justice Shea Nickell. Justice Nickell will discuss the career of Graves County native Alben Barkley and discuss items from his extensive collection of Barkley memorabilia.
Barkley, who served as Vice President with President Harry S. Truman, was born in Wheel, Kentucky in 1877. He initially attended school in Lowes and, after his family moved to Clinton, graduated from Marvin College in 1897. He briefly attended law school at what is now Emory University. After the family moved to Paducah, he read law – a traditional way to prepare for a law career and was admitted to practice law in 1901. He soon after entered politics. Winning an election as county attorney in 1908 and county judge in 1908. In 1912, he was elected to the United Stayes House of Representatives for the First Congressional District. He served in the House until he was elected to the Senate in 1926 and served, rising to floor leader, until he was elected Vice President in 1948. He returned to the Senate, winning election in 1952. He died in 1954. Among other things, Lake Barkley and Barkley Dam are named in his honor. This is a bare outline of a very active and consequential career – join us to learn more.
Shea Nickell is a native of Paducah. He is a graduate of DePauw University and the University of Kentucky Law School. After practicing law and teaching, he was elected to the Kentucky Court of Appeals in 2006. He served on that court until he was elected to the Kentucky Supreme Court in 2019. He has long had an interest in the career of Alben Barkley and has gathered a significant collection of Barkley memorabilia in addition to being a student of Barkley’s political career.
“The JPHS is very happy that Justice Nickell will be sharing both his knowledge of Alben Barkley’s career and his collection of Barkley memorabilia. Few people, if any, people from Purchase have played as important a role on the national stage as Barkley. He was involved at a significant level in major national political events for more than forty years,” Bill Mulligan, JPHS President offered. “It is appropriate that we are meeting in Graves, his home county, Plus, the Graves County Public Library has a great space for the meeting and has always been a gracious host,” he concluded.
The program is free and open to the public — all are welcome to attend.
