Wallace Wilkinson, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death
TweetWallace Wilkinson
American politician
Date of Birth: 12-Dec-1941
Place of Birth: Casey County, Kentucky, United States
Date of Death: 05-Jul-2002
Profession: politician
Nationality: United States
Zodiac Sign: Sagittarius 
About Wallace Wilkinson
- Wallace Glenn Wilkinson (December 12, 1941 – July 5, 2002) was an American businessman and politician from the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
- From 1987 to 1991, he served as the state's 57th governor.
- Wilkinson dropped out of college at the University of Kentucky in 1962 to attend to a book retail business he started.
- The business rapidly became a national success, and Wilkinson re-invested his profits in real estate, farming, transportation, banking, coal, and construction ventures, becoming extremely wealthy.
- In 1987, he joined a crowded field in the Democratic gubernatorial primary.
- After running behind two former governors and the sitting lieutenant governor for most of the race, Wilkinson began to climb in the polls after hiring then-unknown campaign consultant James Carville.
- Wilkinson campaigned on a promise of no new taxes and advocated a state lottery as an alternative means of raising money for the state.
- Wilkinson surprised most political observers by winning the primary and going on to defeat his Republican challenger in the general election. Wilkinson was able to secure passage of a constitutional amendment allowing a state lottery.
- He also helped craft a significant education reform bill in response to a ruling by the Kentucky Supreme Court that declared the state's entire public school system unconstitutional.
- Wilkinson's term was plagued by political scandal and an uneasy relationship with the state legislature.
- He advocated an amendment to the state constitution that would allow him to seek a second consecutive term as governor, but the amendment was defeated in the General Assembly.
- His wife Martha attempted to succeed him, but withdrew from the campaign amid weak support for her candidacy.
- Following his term as governor, Wilkinson encountered difficult financial times.
- In 2001, he was sued by a group of creditors, and during the proceedings, it was revealed that he was operating a Ponzi scheme to keep his businesses afloat.
- Both he and his wife Martha filed for bankruptcy later that year.
- In 2002, Wilkinson was hospitalized with arterial blockages.
- His condition was complicated by a recurrence of Non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
- He suffered a stroke on July 4, 2002, and his family withdrew his life support the following day in accordance with his previously-expressed wishes.
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