Grave of Alben W. Barkley
Paducah, McCracken County, Kentucky
Marker Inscription
Barkley's Grave. Alben W. Barkley, "The Veep," was Senate majority leader under President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Vice-President under President Harry S. Truman. He died on April 30, 1956, while addressing a mock Democratic Convention at Washington and Lee Univ. His last words were: "I would rather be a servant in the house of the Lord than sit in the seats of the mighty." (Reverse) Alben W. Barkley - Alben W. Barkley, Vice President of United States, 1949-53. Member U.S. Senate, 1927-49 and 1955-56; Senate Democratic leader 13 years; House of Representatives 1913-27. Born in Lowes, Ky., 1877. Came to Paducah 1898. Elected to first public office as McCracken County Attorney, 1905. County Judge, 1909. Buried in Mt. Kenton Cemetery, in 1956. Loved and honored by nation. Presented by McCracken County Fiscal Court.
Erected by Kentucky Historical Society
The Story
Alben W. Barkley, the genial Kentuckian known as "The Veep," began his public life as McCracken County Attorney and rose to become one of the most influential figures in mid-century American government. He served decades in Congress, led the Senate Democrats for thirteen years under Franklin Roosevelt, and was Vice President under Harry Truman from 1949 to 1953. He collapsed and died in 1956 while giving a speech, having just declared he would rather be a servant in the house of the Lord than sit among the mighty.
Why it matters
Barkley coined the nickname "Veep" and personified the New Deal and Fair Deal era of national leadership, one of the highest-ranking public servants ever to come from western Kentucky.
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Related people
- · Alben W. Barkley
- · Franklin D. Roosevelt
- · Harry S. Truman
Themes & tags
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