Interview with Albert Benjamin "Happy" Chandler, June 13, 1980

Interview Summary

Former Kentucky governor and baseball commissioner, Albert B. "Happy" Chandler, is interviewed by Professor Charles P. Roland of the University of Kentucky History Department. He discusses some objects of great value to him in his home, including a silver tray gifted to him by the Major League Baseball players and portraits of his family painted by Howard Chandler Christy. He tells Roland of his contributions to the industrialization of Kentucky, bringing in such businesses as Southern Pacific, the Square D Company, Texas Instruments, and the International Business Machines Corporation (IBM). He talks about his personal feelings about and interactions with labor unions in Kentucky, saying that Kentucky's lack of labor unions is what attracted so many businesses to open locations in Kentucky. He then discusses his later political career, including his participation in various Democratic primaries in the 1960s and his personal feelings about various politicians, including John Y. Brown Sr. and Jr. and Henry Ward. He details how he acquired Coldstream Farm and Spindletop Farm on behalf of the University of Kentucky during his second administration as governor.

Interview Keyword

Albert Benjamin "Happy" Chandler Politics and government United States Politicians Politicians Political careers Personalities Political support Political opposition Coldstream Farm Spindletop Farm Kentucky businesses Kentucky industries Southern Pacific Chandler Medical Center Personal opinions

Interview LC Subject

Chandler, Happy, 1898-1991 Chandler, Happy, 1898-1991--Interviews Kentucky--Politics and government Kentucky. Governor (1935-1939 : Chandler) Kentucky. Governor (1955-1959 : Chandler) Politicians--United States United States--Politics and government Baseball commissioners Taxation--Law and legislation--Kentucky Woodford County (Ky.) Square D Company Texas Instruments Incorporated International Business Machines Corporation Industrialization Labor unions Strikes and lockouts Elections University of Kentucky Brown, John Young, 1900-1985 Fayette County (Ky.)--Newspapers

Interview Rights

All rights to the interviews, including but not restricted to legal title, copyrights and literary property rights, have been transferred to the University of Kentucky Libraries.

Interview Usage

Interviews may be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, Special Collections, University of Kentucky Libraries.