Poet Laureate of Kentucky
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Poet Laureate of Kentucky is a title awarded to a Kentucky poet by the state's Art Council. In 2013, the position was occupied by Frank X Walker, the first African-American to be so honored.[1][2]
The poet laureate position was established 1926 by an act of the Kentucky General Assembly. James T. Cotton Noe was the first laureate. Originally appointed to lifetime terms, following 1990 legislation laureates have been appointed by the governor to two-year terms.[3]
List of poets laureate
Poets laureate of Kentucky include:[3][4][5]
| # | Poet laureate | Term began | Term ended | Appointed by | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | James Thomas "Cotton" Noe | March 1926 | 9 November 1953 (death) | legislature | [5][3] |
| 2 | Edward G. Hill | 1 October 1928 | 8 November 1937 (death) | legislature | [5][3] |
| 3 | Louise Scott Phillips | 1945 | 1983 (death) | legislature | [5][3] |
| 4 | Edwin Carlisle Litsey | 1954 | 3 February 1970 (death) | legislature | [5][3] |
| 5 | Jesse Hilton Stuart | 1954 | 1984 (death) | legislature | [5][3] |
| 6 | Lowell Allen Williams | 1956 | – | legislature | [5][3] |
| 7 | Lillie D. Chaffin | 1974 | – | legislature | [5][3] |
| 8 | Tom Mobley | 1976 | – | legislature | [5][3] |
| 9 | Agnes O'Rear | 7 March 1978 | 1990 (death) | legislature | [5][3] |
| 10 | Clarence "Soc" Clay | 1984 | – | legislature | [5][3] |
| 11 | Lee Pennington | 1984 | – | legislature | [5][3] |
| 12 | Paul Salyers | 1984 | – | legislature | [5][3] |
| 13 | Dale Faughn | 1986 | – | legislature | [5][3] |
| 14 | Jim Wayne Miller | 1986 | – | legislature | [5][3] |
| 15 | Henry E. Pilkenton | 1986 | – | legislature | [5][3] |
| 16 | James H. Patton Jr. | 1990 | – | legislature | [5][3] |
| 17 | James Still | 1995 | 1996 | – | [5][3] |
| 18 | Joy Bale Boone | 1997 | 1998 | – | [5][3] |
| 19 | Richard Taylor | 1999 | 2000 | – | [5][3] |
| 20 | James Baker Hall | 2001 | 2002 | – | [5][3] |
| 21 | Joe Survant | 2003 | 2004 | – | [5][3] |
| 22 | Sena Jeter Naslund | 2005 | 2006 | – | [5][3] |
| 23 | Jane Gentry Vance | 2007 | 2008 | – | [5][3] |
| 24 | Gurney Norman | 2009 | 2010 | – | [5][3] |
| 25 | Maureen Morehead | 2011 | 2012 | – | [5][3] |
| 26 | Frank X Walker | January 2013 | 2014 | – | [5][3] |
| 27 | George Ella Lyon | 2015 | 2016 | – | [5][3] |
| 28 | Frederick Smock | May 1, 2017 | 2018 | [8] | |
| 29 | Jeff Worley | 2019 | 2020 | Matt Bevin | [9] |
| 30 | Crystal Wilkinson | 2021 | 2022 | [10][11] | |
| 31 | Silas House | 2023 | 2024 | Andy Beshear | [12] |
| 32 | Kathleen Driskell | 2025 | 2026 | Andy Beshear | [13] |
