Interview with Jo Ferguson

Partial Transcript: Tell me a little about yourself.

Segment Synopsis: Ferguson talks about his service in the army, especially overseas.

Keywords: British Public Safety School; Bulgaria; Central City, Kentucky; Civil Affairs; Cologne, Germany; Humphrey, Bob; Omaha Beach; Utah Beach; White Horse Valley, England; World War II

Subjects: Lawyers United States. Army World War, 1939-1945

Partial Transcript: Then I was sent to Munich.

Segment Synopsis: Ferguson discusses being in Germany after the Allies had won the war. He says the Germans were totally "cowed" and were glad they were Americans and not Russians. He was in charge of giving restitution to Jews whose property had been confiscated or damaged.

Keywords: Chief of Property Control and Restitution; Clay, General

Subjects: Kristallnacht, 1938 Nazis Third Reich

Partial Transcript: Let's start talking about Bert Combs and your role in Kentucky government.

Segment Synopsis: Ferguson gives an overview of politics, specifically in the 1950s and within the Democratic party in Kentucky.

Keywords: 1955 campaign; 1959 campaign; Attorney general; Carter, Henry; Cook, Marlow; Martin, Bob; O'Connell, Charlie; Reeves, Mary Margaret; Wetherby, Lawrence

Subjects: Chandler, Happy, 1898-1991 Clements, Earle C. (Earle Chester), 1896-1985 Combs, Bert T., 1911-1991 Democratic party (Ky.) Elections Kentucky--Politics and government Political campaigns

Partial Transcript: Then in '59 or '58 when Bert began to run, he didn't announce it first.

Segment Synopsis: Ferguson talks about the 1959 campaign and why he thinks Combs won.

Keywords: Breckenridge, John; Waterfield

Subjects: Campaign management Chandler, Happy, 1898-1991 Combs, Bert T., 1911-1991 Elections Governors--Kentucky Political campaigns Wyatt, Wilson W. (Wilson Watkins), 1905-1996

Partial Transcript: We really had some hot fights over that.

Segment Synopsis: Ferguson explains why he felt the merit system was needed and why Combs instituted it.

Keywords: Merit system

Subjects: Breathitt, Edward T., 1924-2003 Combs, Bert T., 1911-1991 Kentucky--Politics and government

Partial Transcript: He had promised me that I would be chairman of the public service commission.

Segment Synopsis: Ferguson discusses the accomplishments of the Combs administration including passing the sales tax to fund schools and instituting the Medicaid Act.

Keywords: Commission of Economic Security; Francis, David; Medicaid Act

Subjects: Clements, Earle C. (Earle Chester), 1896-1985 Combs, Bert T., 1911-1991 Education--Kentucky--Finance Sales tax--Law and legislation Wyatt, Wilson W. (Wilson Watkins), 1905-1996

Partial Transcript: He got out and took this appointment as a judge of the circuit court of appeals.

Segment Synopsis: Ferguson says that he thinks Combs stopped being a Federal Judge because he got bored. He thinks that leaving that well-paying position and losing favor with Clements caused him to lose the 1971 election.

Keywords:

Subjects: Clements, Earle C. (Earle Chester), 1896-1985 Combs, Bert T., 1911-1991 Ford, Wendell H. 1924-2015 Political campaigns United States. Court of Appeals (Federal Circuit)

Partial Transcript: You were chairman of the Governor's Constitutional Revision Committee of '61, tell us a little about that.

Segment Synopsis: Ferguson explains why they wanted to revise the state constitution.

Keywords: Constitutional Revision Committee; County Judge Executive

Subjects: Breathitt, Edward T., 1924-2003 Governors--Kentucky Kentucky--Politics and government