Simeon Willis, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death

    

Simeon Willis

American lawyer and politician

Date of Birth: 01-Dec-1879

Place of Birth: Aid Township, Ohio, United States

Date of Death: 02-Apr-1965

Profession: judge, lawyer

Nationality: United States

Zodiac Sign: Sagittarius


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About Simeon Willis

  • Simeon Slavens Willis (December 1, 1879 – April 1, 1965) was the 46th Governor of Kentucky, United States, serving from 1943 to 1947.
  • He was the only Republican elected governor of Kentucky between 1927 and 1967.Willis's family came to Kentucky from Ohio about 1889.
  • After briefly working in the education and journalism fields, Willis read law with private tutors and was admitted to the bar in 1901.
  • He became interested in politics, but his early races for office were unsuccessful with the exception of his four-year stint as city solicitor for Ashland, Kentucky.
  • Finally in 1927, newly elected governor Flem D.
  • Sampson appointed Willis to the Kentucky Court of Appeals—then the court of last resort in the state.
  • Willis went on to win a full four-year term on the court in 1928, and distinguished himself by revising Thornton on the Law of Oil and Gas, a six-volume law reference.
  • He was defeated for re-election to his seat in 1932 and returned to his law practice. After a decade out of politics, Willis was chosen without opposition as the Republican gubernatorial nominee in 1943.
  • Infighting among the state's Democrats, combined with Willis's popular proposal to eliminate the state income tax, carried him to a narrow victory over J.
  • Lyter Donaldson.
  • Willis was opposed by Democratic majorities in both houses of the Kentucky General Assembly.
  • The end of World War II in 1945 brought sizable budget surpluses to the state, and disagreements over how to spend the excess funds spilled over into special legislative sessions.
  • Willis was not able to realize his campaign promise of eliminating the state income tax because the legislature expanded the budget far beyond what he proposed.
  • But he did forge a record of modest accomplishments, including constructing five tuberculosis hospitals across the state and significantly increasing funding for education.
  • Following his term as governor, he served on various state boards and commissions, but failed in his only attempt to return to elective office—a 1952 campaign against Bert T.
  • Combs to return to the Court of Appeals.
  • Willis died on April 1, 1965, and is interred at Frankfort Cemetery in the capital city of Frankfort.

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