Fred M. Vinson Day to be April 30
By Lilly Adkins
BSN Associate Editor
LOUISA — Lawrence County Tourism Commission will sponsor Fred M. Vinson Day on Saturday, April 30, in honor of the Lawrence County native and former U.S. Supreme Court chief justice.
The event, which was originally planned for January but rescheduled due to inclement weather, will include a Dead Fred Urban Hike from the Vinson birthplace/museum in Louisa to his gravesite and back, with points of interest along the way.
Registration for the free hike is at 8:30 a.m., and the hike begins at 9 a.m. and is open to the public.
At 11 a.m., there will be an opening ceremony with special speakers, including Lawrence County Attorney Brad Derifield, who will speak at 11 a.m. and again at 1 p.m. Derifield is a 1994 graduate of Centre College in Danville, which Vinson also attended. Blane Hardin and Oakley Watkins of Centre College will also be attending.
Items of interest inside the Vinson museum include his desk, a collection of his books, numerous photographs and other items for visitors to view as well as literature about his life.
During the event, kid’s activities will include face painting and a petting zoo.
The Hillbilly Hibachi food truck will be available, and there will also be craft booths, and giveaways throughout the day.
Other entertainment during the event will include music.
Lawrence County Motorsports will also host a Cruise-In on Vinson Street from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Pre-registration is not required, but a $5 donation per entry is required.
All vehicles are welcome, and there will be a children’s show and trophies for Big Wheels, go karts and bicycles.
Follow Lawrence County Motorsports Authority on Facebook or call (606) 471-9163.
The Rubber Duck Derby Drop will be a 4 p.m. off the Louisa/Fort Gay bridge. Ducks are available for purchase at Louisa City Bank, Citizens Bank of Kentucky, Falls Creek Pavilion and Rebel River Outfitters.
Vinson was born in Louisa on January 22, 1890, and died September 8, 1953, in Washington, D.C.
Vinson served in all three branches of government. In the legislative branch, he was an elected member of the U.S. House of Representatives for 12 years. In the executive branch, he was the secretary of Treasury under President Harry S. Truman. In the judicial branch, he was the 13th Chief Justice of the United States, appointed by Truman.
Vinson graduated from Kentucky Normal School in 1908 and enrolled at Centre College, where he graduated at the top of his class. While at Centre, he was a member of the Kentucky Alpha Delta chapter of Phi Delta Theta fraternity after which he opened a private practice in Louisa.
He was first elected to office as Louisa city attorney.
Vinson joined the army during World War I, after which he returned and was elected at the Commonwealth’s Attorney, holding the office from 1921-1924.
In 1924, he ran in a special election for his district’s seat in Congress after William J. Fields resigned to become the governor of Kentucky. Vinson was elected as a Democrat and then was re-elected twice before losing in 1928.
In 1929-1931, Vinson opened a private law practice in Ashland.
Vinson came back to win re-election in 1930 and served in Congress through 1937.
“While he was in Congress he befriended Missouri Senator Harry S. Truman, a friendship that would last throughout his life,” Wikipedia says. “He soon became a close advisor, confidante, card player, and dear friend to Truman. After Truman decided against running for another term as president in the early 1950s, he tried to convince a skeptical Vinson to seek the Democratic Party nomination, but Vinson turned down the President’s offer.”
On Nov. 26, 1937, Vinson was nominated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to the federal branch, filling a seat vacated by Charles H. Robb on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. While he was there, he was designated by Chief Justice Harlan Fiske Stone on March 2, 1942, as chief judge of the U.S. Emergency Court of Appeals, serving until his resignation on May 27, 1943.
Appointed by Truman, Vinson served as the secretary of the Treasury from July 23, 1945 to June 23, 1946.
In 1946, Vinson resigned from the Treasury and was appointed by Truman to the position of chief justice of the United States. His signature is also on some of the money.
As chief justice, he swore in Truman and Dwight D. Eisenhower as presidents.
Vinson married Roberta Dixon of Ashland in 1924. They had two sons, Frederick Vinson, Jr. and James Vinson. Frederick Vinson Jr. married Nell Morrison and they had two children named Frederick Vinson III and Carolyn Pharr Vinson. James Vinson married Margaret Russell and they had four children named James Robert, Margaret, Michael Arthur and Matthew Dixon.
Vinson died suddenly and unexpectedly from a heart attack early on the morning of Sept. 8, 1953, and is buried at Pinehill Cemetery in Louisa.