august june representative kentucky served 29th governor kentucky born kentucky moved missouri began political career served missouri attorney general resigned swear oath allegiance federal government prior outbreak civil war briefly imprisoned refusal oath allegiance returned kentucky elected notable speech bill westward expansion railroads speech remote town minnesota speech eventually reprinted publications brought national acclaim stand election instead making failed run office governor returned house served chair judiciary committee left congress successful run governor secured major reforms education pursuit tax reform term governor delegate state constitutional convention professor kentucky helped organized college law school served dean law school illness forced retire died home lebanon kentucky june early life born kentucky august son father early age later attended public school counties began study law relocated memphis missouri admitted bar commenced practice served offices circuit court county married november died birth couple child august january married cousin political career political career began elected represent served chair judiciary committee conducted hearings judge resigned seat legislature august accept governor appointment fill term missouri attorney general elected term attorney general january missouri called convention determine follow lead pro slavery states union sympathetic southern cause opposed methods position carried convention vote majority resigned position attorney general oath allegiance required federal government result refusal practice state missouri imprisoned short time house_of_representatives returned kentucky opened legal practice lebanon elected democrat legislator opposed reconstruction agenda radical republicans ratification fourteenth fifteenth amendments elected second term stand election notable action legislator occurred near end stint congress january delivered satirical speech bill provided seven land grants financial concessions railroads westward expansion speech singled proposed line river minnesota point derided town need railroad repeatedly referring map asking located following speech railroad bill killed congress day speech known brought national acclaim copies speech reprinted sold residents apparently offended speech extending offer visit city accepted offer city near incorporated adopted present minnesota unsuccessful bid governor kentucky losing democratic nomination elected house_of_representatives serving consecutive terms chaired terms named managers proceedings secretary war governor kentucky candidates seeking democratic gubernatorial nomination prominent candidates included congressman confederate general judge louisville mayor jacob began jones leading vote unable secure majority ballots jacob withdrew moved lead following day dropped extended lead remained ballot race came jones delegates switched counties soon followed suit jones withdrew nominated unanimously general election defeated republican margin nearly votes term office asked legislature conduct thorough reform state tax system legislators response create board charged making tax assessments legislature refused grant powers requested successful initiatives area education leadership state established normal school blacks created state teacher organization new legislation spelled time state history duties responsibilities administrators school boards major shortcomings crime despite feuds continued rage state including lasted years refused acknowledge problem prisons prompted employ pardon power legislature approved construction kentucky state predecessor laid project later life death following term governor continued legal practice declined separate appointments offered president territorial governor hawaii appointment served special assistant kentucky attorney general chosen delegate state constitutional convention professor economics kentucky centre president organized law department college department dean illness forced retire died lebanon june buried cemetery lebanon kentucky formed named honor
J. Proctor Knott