Interview with Sam B. Thomas, February 12, 2004
Project: Kentucky Legislature Oral History Project
Interview Summary
Thomas (House, 1972-1986, 24th district; Democrat) describes his early years on a rural farm in Marion County, Kentucky. He shares a detailed experience of his first election and the importance of local political officials in Hart, Larue, and Marion counties. He discusses his first trip to Kentucky Dam Village and his memories of House leadership races. Thomas explains how divisive politics among the Democratic Party affected members and their committee assignments. He also describes the leadership styles and leadership cabinets of four Kentucky governors: Wendell Ford, Julian Carroll, John Y. Brown, and Martha Layne Collins. As chairperson of the business, professions, and occupations committee (BOP), Thomas handled a considerable range of diverse issues, factions, and interests, including gambling, alcohol, horseracing, and occupational licensing. He discusses his memories of the committee's most important and controversial bills, as well as the BOPTROT scandal. He underlines the difficulties surrounding the culture of lobbying at the General Assembly. Moreover, Thomas captures the more poignant moments of his legislative career, including his most difficult, embarrassing, and rewarding votes as a member of the Kentucky House of Representatives.Interview Accession
Interviewee Name
Interviewer Name
Interview Date
Interview LC Subject
Blume, Norbert L., 1922-2011 Democratic Party (Ky.) Equal rights amendments--Kentucky Horse racing--Kentucky Kentucky. General Assembly. House of Representatives Kentucky. Governor (1967-1971 : Nunn) Kentucky. Governor (1971-1974 : Ford) Kentucky. Governor (1974-1979 : Carroll) Kentucky. Governor (1979-1983 : Brown) Kentucky. Governor (1983-1987 : Collins) Larue County (Ky.) Legislators--Kentucky--Interviews Lieutenant governors--Kentucky Lobbyists Marion County (Ky.) Stovall, Thelma L., 1919-1994 Thomas, Sam B. Thomas, Sam B.--Interviews Trevey, John Edwin, 1933-1990Interview 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.Restriction
Interviews may be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, Special Collections, University of Kentucky Libraries.
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.
Add this interview to your cart in order to begin the process of requesting access to a copy of and/or permission to reproduce interview(s).
Thomas, Sam B. Interview by Eric Moyen. 12 Feb. 2004. Lexington, KY: Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries.
Thomas, S.B. (2004, February 12). Interview by E. Moyen. Kentucky Legislature Oral History Project. Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries, Lexington.
Thomas, Sam B., interview by Eric Moyen. February 12, 2004, Kentucky Legislature Oral History Project, Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries.
You may come across language in UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center collections and online resources that you find harmful or offensive. SCRC collects materials from different cultures and time periods to preserve and make available the historical record. These materials document the time period when they were created and the view of their creator. As a result, some may demonstrate racist and offensive views that do not reflect the values of UK Libraries.
If you find description with problematic language that you think SCRC should review, please contact us at SCRC@uky.edu.
Persistent Link for this Record: https://kentuckyoralhistory.org/ark:/16417/xt744j09wc95