Hall of Greats

Betty J. Gorin-Smith is an educator, preservationist, and author. A native of Taylor  County, Gorin is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Kentucky; she holds a  Master’s in History and Rank I in Teaching. At UK, she was elected to Mortar Board and a member of Chi Omega sorority. She was awarded a Fulbright to the Netherlands and completed postgraduate work at Vanderbilt and the University of  Virginia. 

Betty began her 35-year teaching career at Lafayette High in Lexington, returned to Campbellsville and  taught at Campbellsville and Taylor County High, Lindsey Wilson College, and Campbellsville University.  She believes in not just teaching history, but in actively participating in the preservation of our cultural  landscape. She has supported downtown beautification, the arts, and music. While in the classroom, her  student-led Downtown Walking Tours, tours of Spurlington Tunnel and Brookside Cemetery, Kentucky  Bicentennial County tours, and student-involved tours of Tebbs Bend Battlefield, and field trips to Kentucky  sites and Europe were memorable. She was a sponsor of the Taylor County High School Young Historians  who were awarded the Ida Lee Willis Preservation Award for their work recording cemeteries and family  history. The club published its Taylor County Historic Calendar, thereby creating funds for historic markers,  museum exhibits, and acquisitions. 

Betty has served on the Kentucky Bicentennial Commission, the Kentucky Encyclopedia Committee,  Kentucky Highway Markers Commission, Kentucky Historical Society Executive Committee, and Friends of  the State Archives. She was the leader in saving the Atkinson-Griffin House Confederate Hospital, in  preserving the Jacob Hiestand House complex, now the Taylor County Museum, in creating the Tebbs  Bend Battlefield Trail, in placing gravestones at the Confederate Cemetery at Green River and researching  the county’s veterans in all wars. She serves on numerous boards locally and has been a long-time  member of Campbellsville Baptist Church where she chaired its 225th anniversary celebration. She also  chaired the first re-enactment of the Battle of Tebbs Bend. She is a member of Taylor County Retired  Teachers, KEA, and NEA and many historical and preservation organizations. 

She received the Algernon S. Sullivan Servant Leader Award from Campbellsville University for her work  on the John H. Morgan Trail Commission, DAR State History Teaching Award, Ashland Oil Teacher  Achievement Award, the Shriner American Heritage Cup, Edith Bingham Preservation Education Award, an  award from Greater Campbellsville United for work on African American history and has twice been the  Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year for community service. Congressman Ron named her “historian  laureate” of south-central Kentucky in the Congressional Record. 

She is the author of “Morgan Is Coming!” Confederate Raiders in the Heartland of Kentucky; co-author of  “Campbellsville Taylor County: A Bicentennial History;” contributed to “Campbellsville University: A Pictorial  History;” authored 25 historic markers and numerous historical and genealogical books and publications. 

Born in 1940, she is the daughter of David Hiestand Mitchell and Floye Smith. By Don Gorin, she is the  mother of Mark Gorin, Beth Gorin Cox, and Wendell D. Jones, PhD. She has six grandchildren. Betty’s  second husband was the late Lt. Colonel Gordon E. Smith. 

She says, "I am thankful to God for a very blessed life." 
 

Gary Seaborne attended Taylor County Schools from grades 7-12 and graduated from TCHS in1962. He attended Campbellsville College and graduated in 1966 with secondary teacher certification. Seaborne then attended Western Kentucky University with a master’s  degree and Rank I with Secondary Certification for School Principal and Superintendent. Mr. Seaborne also attended some classes at Morehead State University and the University of Kentucky. 

In 1967 and 1968 he taught 8th grade classes while driving a school bus in the mornings and afternoons. He served as superintendent of Taylor County Schools for 27 years until  he retired on June 30, 2009. 

At one time, he was second in seniority in Kentucky as a school superintendent. He  presided over several school building renovations and additions and improvements such as  air conditioning for the school buildings, classroom telephones, audio visual instructional  equipment and computers. 

Mr. Seaborne says that it has most certainly been a high honor and a blessing to serve the  citizens of Taylor County in the education of their youth for the best 43 years of his life.

When C.V. Bryan arrived on the scene in 1923 as Taylor County’s third farm agent, he faced an uphill battle with many area farmers who had little use for innovative techniques and change, all of  which Bryan had in abundance. 

During his impressive 39-year career, Bryan succeeded in building confidence and friendships with Taylor County farmers, even those initially resistant to his new ideas. With doors now opened, Bryan  was able to introduce a multitude of cooperative programs and improved farming practices that  quickly began to increase profits for Taylor County farmers. 

First, he showed farmers how to buy limestone in carload lots, and he helped obtain a rock crusher for the county. He  introduced fescue and other soil improvements which led to increased crop production. By the end of Bryan’s career,  farmers were producing more corn on one acre than they previously grew on three, and the average tobacco production  increased from 646 pounds per acre to an average of 1740 pounds in 1959. 

By 1929, Bryan had convinced local farmers of the financial benefits of breeding only purebred cattle, leading to Taylor County’s recognition as the fourth county in the United States to replace 100% of their scrub bulls with purebred sires. Months later, Taylor County also eliminated all scrub boars from their herds, becoming the first county in the U.S. to reach  a 100% goal for purebred sires in two livestock classes. 

Bryan educated farmers about the additional earnings to be made from dairy farming, ultimately creating a million-dollar  business in Taylor County, the formation of a dairy co-op, and luring Chappel’s Dairy to Taylor County. Bryan praised  local farmers who had gone from raising only a cow or two for home consumption to producing over 30 million pounds of  milk every week. Under his leadership, a cooperative lamb-shipping association was also organized. 

Bryan started the Farm Bureau in Taylor County, one of the first in the state, as well as the Junior Farm Bureau. He helped increase the number of 4-H organizations in Taylor County from 1 to 28, helping to educate and raise up future  Taylor County farmers. For several years, local hatcheries participated in one of Bryan’s youth programs by giving away 40,000 baby chicks yearly to 4-H members to raise, resulting in 270,000 fryer chickens being produced locally each year. He was a strong advocate for bringing electricity to Taylor County farms, and along with the Farm Bureau, raised funds for the initial surveying of 100 miles of county lines.  

February 1, 1949, was declared C.V. Bryan Day in Campbellsville and in 1958, he was elected president of the Kentucky County Agent’s Association. That same year, he attended the National County Agent meeting in Kansas City, Missouri, where he presented President Harry Truman with a Taylor County country ham. Throughout his career, Bryan successfully encouraged Taylor County bankers to finance the many improvements being adopted by farmers, convincing them that what was good for the farmer was good for Taylor County. 

Bryan instigated popular street fairs that celebrated Taylor County farms with displays of local livestock, crops and garden produce, especially aimed to excite young people about new farming advancements. As part of his dairy program, Bryan introduced Cow Days that brought thousands to downtown Campbellsville for the chance to win a dairy cow. Bryan entertained and educated local citizens with his weekly newspaper column filled with the latest farming practices,  sprinkled with sage safe advice and the virtue of good citizenship. “Barnyard Gossip” was written in Bryan’s distinctive  folksy style, usually calling farmers by name and sharing their successes. 

By the end of his career, Bryan had raised the agricultural economy of Taylor County from Kentucky’s lowest to 23rd out of  120 counties in the state. When Bryan retired in 1962, the Central Kentucky News-Journal honored him with the following: 

Well Done Good and Faithful Servant. 

No better monument could be raised to C.V. Bryan than the present agricultural economy of Taylor County. Through his  leadership, the farmers of the county have improved their land by using tested methods of cultivation, crop rotation,  annual pastures and soil conservation. In 1923, there were no dairy herds, no fields filled with slick, fat beef cattle, few silos, poor roads, and poor soil. Thousands of 4-H boys and girls have learned farm improvements from Mr. Bryan. Many  4-H’ers now form the backbone of Taylor County’s farm population.  

March 23, 2023 marked the 50th anniversary of C.V. Bryan’s death. 

The Taylor County Agriculture Department has been blessed with many great students, teachers, and supporters over the years. We began to look at those who have left their mark and contributed to the legacy of  Taylor County Schools, Taylor County FFA Chapter, and the Taylor County Agriculture Community. 

Mr. Walter Rhodes is one of those great students who has met the criteria mentioned above for Taylor County, our FFA chapter, and the agriculture community. Mr. Rhodes began his membership in the Taylor County FFA Chapter in 1952. Throughout his high  school career, he was very active in the FFA program. He served as Chapter President  1954-1956 and excelled in multiple competitions, especially the Parliamentary Procedure  Contest. This contest is considered one of the most prestigious contests in the National  FFA Organization. He led his team as president to the 1956 Kentucky State FFA Parliamentary Procedure Championship. This was Taylor County’s first state win for this contest. His leadership led future members to strive to meet this standard of success and  established a love for this contest for years to come. 

Mr. Rhodes married LaVerne Williams Rhodes in 1969 and established a 600 acre farm in  Taylor County. He worked for UPS for 31 years in Campbellsville. Walter has shown a dedication and love for agriculture throughout his career and life, and that provided an example for others to follow. It is an honor to recognize his achievement and example to others through his induction to the Taylor County Agriculture Hall of Greats. 

 

  

Judith Moss Eastridge, aka Judy, Mrs. Eastridge, Mrs. E, Mom, and her favorite title  - “Grandmommy” was (and still is) a name cherished and remembered by many. She grew up in a small bedford stone house on a humble farm in Taylor County where she was instilled with the values and life skills that made her the teacher, wife, mom, friend, aunt, grandmother and neighbor we all loved.  

She attended Ireland Community School during her elementary years, and then went on to be Valedictorian of the Class of 1964 at Taylor County High School. She married Bobby Eastridge while still in high school at the young age of 16. Miss Sublett, who was principal at the time, got wind of the planned elopement and locked Judy in a closet to try to prevent the nuptials until JT and Nina, her  parents, could get there to talk her out of it! However, her love for Bobby could not be coerced. They were married as planned and went on to spend 43 wonderful years together until her unexpected  passing in 2004.  

Judy’s undeniable talent and love for music awarded her a bachelor’s degree in music with an emphasis  in piano from Campbellsville College, along with a career as the choral director at Taylor County High  School from 1968 to 1988. With a master’s degree in administration and counseling, she went on to be the middle school guidance counselor from 1988 to 1993, and then worked as the Director of Pupil Personnel until her retirement in 2001.  

Story after story from former students revealed the impact she had on so many. She treated everyone equally and worked to instill a vision of hope and potential within her students. She had respect and love from her students because of her ability to lead with strength and authority, but also because of her kindness and zeal for life. She directed musicals, madrigal dinners, chorus performances, holiday sing a-longs, and more. Her creative vision was an integral precursor to the TCHS Show Choir we all know and enjoy today. Her creativity was expressed beyond her musical gifts. She was an amazing cook who loved to entertain guests with wonderful meals and a beautifully set table. She was taught by her mom at an early age to sew and became a fantastic seamstress making window treatments, pillowcases, bags, blankets, clothes, and the most elaborate Halloween costumes for the grandkids! She loved playing  bridge and would even play weekly tennis in the summers to be with her friends, although she admittedly was not much of an athlete! It didn’t matter. The joy came from time spent with people she loved. Her friends were very important to her, and she cherished them all dearly.  

Her love for the Lord shined through as well. She led the choir at First Cumberland Presbyterian Church for over 30 years and served Campbellsville as a whole by forming and leading community choirs to  celebrate Easter, Christmas and other special events. She was very much a visionary and equally skilled at executing that vision. Her “ray of sunshine” personality made her a friend to all. To know Judy was to love her. For anyone who knew Judy, they would definitely say that her pride and joy was her children: Jay and Merideth. She was a wonderful mom who taught them by example to love God and family above all else. They both now have families of their own to which Judy would have adored had she still  been here today. Judy made the choice every single day to seek happiness. Regardless of how she felt  or what the situation might be, she woke up with a smile on her face and “It’s gonna be a good day” attitude. She positively impacted so many people. Her legacy will live on forever in the hearts of her family and friends and in the halls of Taylor County Schools.

Nathan Gaddis is a 2003 Grammy Award Nominated Singer/Songwriter, with his work in the vocal group, TrueVibe. He’s worked with and toured with some of the music industry's biggest names, including Beyoncé, Destiny’s Child, *NSYNC, Mandy Moore, Richie Sambora, the late Aaron Carter, and many more. His musical work can be found on several compilation albums with one of his original songs being featured on the Radio Disney 4 record that is certified Gold (500,000 albums sold). You can hear Nathan’s voice on the critically acclaimed 2001 Paramount Pictures/Nickelodeon Movies animated feature film “Jimmy Neutron:  Boy Genius,” with the song “I Can Count on You,” as well as being featured in the first verse of the title song for the movie “On the Line” in 2001. The music video for “On the Line” was featured on  MTV’s Making the Video and had over 20 million views when aired in 2001. 

Nathan has performed in front of over two million people throughout his career in the music business, and TrueVibe was named Most Successful New Artist of 2001 by Christian media outlets. “I always wanted to make music that made people feel something deep in their bones. Something that,  maybe, they can’t even articulate but know it’s there.” - Nathan Gaddis 

Nathan Gaddis is proud to be a Kentucky native. His parents, Dr. Robert and Jeanne Gaddis, surrounded him with music his entire life so it was a natural choice to pursue this path. He is also extremely proud to be a Taylor County High School Alumni, graduating in 1996. It was in those halls and classrooms where he began to perfect his craft believing that one day he was going to use his gifts to help encourage the world. However, it wasn’t easy to get to that point. To take a shot at his dream, he had to drop out of Belmont University’s nationally acclaimed Commercial Music  Program to pursue that dream, not knowing what the outcome would be. He decided it was a worthy goal and this was his shot, so he took it. Nathan is constantly encouraging young musicians who have aspirations to become known for their platform to never give up. 

“Most times, the right choice and the hard choice are actually the same choice. So do the difficult and hard things. Take the leaps of faith. Be bold. In the end, you’ll find yourself on the other side, thankful that you made the effort because it forces growth in your life.” - Nathan Gaddis 

Nathan is married to his best friend, Bethany, and they have four amazing children, Jaxon Clark, Jovie Capri, Jaydn Priscilla, and Lyrick Chase.

Anyone familiar with Taylor County Basketball will no doubt have heard of the Cox Family. Brent Cox was a standout player and was known as a great student and teacher of the game of basketball. Brent was an integral part of the success of Taylor County Basketball, particularly during the ‘70s and ‘80s. Brent’s time at Taylor County began with his playing career. He was a two sport, four-year varsity  letterman from 1954-1958, playing both basketball and baseball. In basketball, he was the  leading scorer for his team each year that he played, scoring 1948 points in his four-year career. At the time of his graduation, he was the all-time leading scorer for Taylor County Basketball.

Cox began teaching and coaching at Taylor County in 1963. He started coaching middle  school basketball and then moved up to coach freshman basketball in 1969. He became Assistant Basketball coach under Fred Waddle in 1972. Cox was recognized as a brilliant  strategist who stressed fundamentals. Together,  he and Waddle led Taylor County  Basketball through their glory days of the ‘70s and ‘80s. They are remembered for their willingness to implement new tactics and strategies that the traditional basketball minds  called crazy. Their success includes four regional championships and eight district titles. Cox remained by Waddle’s side for 17 seasons, after which they both retired. 

Brent was born and raised in Mannsville and lived there with his wife Betty. During his  tenure at Taylor County, and even after his retirement, he remained loyal to Taylor County Cardinal Basketball.

Clem “The Gem” (as he was known during his playing days) had an extraordinary run as not only a professional basketball player but also as a Division I Head Coach. This was not only due to his incredible talent on the hardwood, but the role he played as a trendsetter and breaker of barriers throughout his career. He attended Durham High School as a freshman and sophomore where he scored over 1500 points, and then in 1961, Clem was the first African American to enroll at Taylor County High School.  

Clem and two of his brothers, Paul Samuel and Merion, were standout basketball players at Taylor County High School. He played for Head Coach Billy B. Smith and Assistant Coach Fred Waddle. He was an all-star player his junior and senior year, winning countless awards and adding another 1800 points to his scoring totals. He finished his high school career with 3,325 points scored. He was an All-American and was recruited to play at the NCAA  Division I Level, which he did at Western Kentucky University. 

Haskins and his Hilltopper teammates won the Ohio Valley Conference in 1966 and 1967 and was OVC Player of the Year in 1966. In 1967, the Hilltoppers were ranked 3rd nationally. Clem was a three-time All American while at Western and remains the only player to be chosen Conference Player of the Year for three  consecutive seasons. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from WKU. 

In the 1967 NBA Draft, Haskins was selected by the Chicago Bulls and the Kentucky Colonels but opted to play for the Bulls. He played nine years of professional basketball for three teams; the Bulls from 1967-70, the  Phoenix Suns from 1970-1974, and Washington Bullets (now Wizards) from 1974-1976. He was a point guard and shooting guard. Clem played in 681 games and totaled 8,743 career points. 

In 1977, Clem became an assistant coach at Western Kentucky University. In 1980, he was named head  coach, a position he held for six seasons. He was named Coach of the Year in 1982. Haskins left WKU in 1986 to be head coach at the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers and rebuild their men’s basketball program. His illustrious career at Minnesota included several postseason appearances and two National Invitational Tournament Titles in 1993 and 1998. In 1997, he led the Golden Gophers to a school record 31 wins, the Big Ten Regular Season Conference Championship and the 1997 NCAA Final Four as the number one seed from the Midwest Region. They lost to the Kentucky Wildcats, but Haskins was given the honor of being named the Clair Bee Coach of the Year Award winner. 

Coach Haskins represented his country as an assistant coach for the 1996 US Olympic Basketball Team.  They won the gold medal for the US for the second straight Olympic Games. 

Haskins retired from coaching in 1999 with a career record of 344-243 and a record at Minnesota of 243-170.  He and his wife of over 40 years, Yevette Penick Haskins, have three children. He now lives on the same  farm his parents worked and where he was raised. In 2008, his farm was voted the finest in Taylor County. 

Clem was an inaugural inductee into the Dawahares/KHSAA Hall of Fame in the Class of 1988. He was inducted into the Fifth Region Athletic Directors Hall of Fame from Taylor County in 2007. Recently, the  hardwood at Citizens Bank Arena was dedicated as Clem Haskins Court. He may be retired from playing and  coaching, but Clem Haskins can still be found around the game, usually coming to watch Taylor County Basketball.

Clay Marcum, a 1934 graduate of Taylor County High School, is the founding father of Taylor County Athletics. He loved sports and was the  driving force behind Taylor County offering athletics to its students. He  even had a part in choosing the school colors and giving the name “Cardinals” to the athletic teams. 

The boys’ basketball program was the first athletic team at TCHS. It started during the  1941-1942 school year under the leadership of Coach Marcum. He was instrumental in  making Taylor County a member of the KHSAA, enabling our teams to compete against  other schools and in postseason events. Coach Marcum led our basketball program  through the 1947-1948 season and then started the baseball program, which he led until  1955. The first unofficial athletic director for Taylor County Schools was Clay Marcum.  

Coach Marcum is not remembered for his wins and titles but for his leadership in starting  these programs. His early management of these teams led to top notch basketball and  baseball programs and an all-around exceptional athletic program.  

Coach Marcum passed away in 1972 and as a tribute, the “new at the time” football field  was dedicated in his honor and named Clay Marcum Field.

Christi Thomas McGuire is a 1993 graduate of Taylor County. She was part of the Taylor County High School 1993 District Championship team and 1990 and 1991 District runner-up teams. Playing for Rollin McQueary, she was a four-year starter, three-time All-District, two-time All-Region, two-time 5th Region Player of the Year and a member of the Kentucky Junior All-Star team. Christi had 1,409 career points, ranking her 5th all-time scorer for girls’ basketball. She was also a member of the tennis team and active in Beta Club and chorus. 

She went on to receive a full basketball scholarship at Campbellsville University where she was an All-Conference performer and finished as the #22 all-time scorer in program history and top 8 in career field goal percentage. Christi was recently inducted into the Campbellsville University Athletic Hall of Fame. 

Christi currently resides in Lexington with her husband, Jason, and kids Haley and Easton. She works for the UK Network as a radio and TV host, as well as a basketball color analyst for the SEC Network.

Rollin McQueary played basketball for Adair County High School from 1955 - 1959, where he was selected as All-Southern Kentucky Athletic Conference and All-Region. He then attended Lindsey Wilson Junior College where his team advanced to the 4th place national finish. He continued his collegiate career at Midwestern State University. There, he was chosen as the Outstanding Athlete of 1963. 

In 1971, after coaching various sports in Ohio, Rollin McQueary came to Taylor County  where he remained until his retirement. He taught physical education at the elementary school for 32 years. He started as the 7th grade and 8th grade boys’ basketball coach. In 1973, he became the boys’ freshman basketball coach, coaching with fellow inductees  Fred Waddle and Brent Cox. He was also a member of the first football staff at Taylor  County in 1973 and had the distinction of being the first tennis coach at Taylor County, holding the position from 1974-1977. 

However, coach McQueary is most well-known for his longevity of the TCHS Girls  Basketball team. He became head coach in 1976 and remained in that position until 1998,  giving him 22 seasons with Lady Cardinal Basketball, a record for basketball coaches that  still stands. Coach McQueary has the most wins of any Taylor County girls’ basketball coach with a career record of 281-254. He won seven district championships and led his  1977 Lady Cardinal team to the school’s only 5th Region Championship in girls’ basketball.  Coach McQueary was the Southern Kentucky Athletic Conference Coach of the Year, 1995 5th Region Coach of the Year, and was the East-West All-Star Coach. 

After his retirement, Rollin began officiating basketball and volleyball and to this day, he still officiates volleyball in Louisville, where he now lives.

Coach Shaw retired in 1992 after thirty-six years as a head coach, the last twenty years at the helm of Taylor County Cardinal Baseball. Shaw was instrumental in the growth and development of Taylor County Baseball during its infancy and its transformation into the successful program it is today. 

His coaching career began with a five-year stint at Union College in 1957 where he served as head baseball coach and assistant basketball coach. This was followed by two years at Walton Verona High School (his jersey was retired in 2003), six years at Campbellsville High School, and three years at Campbellsville College. He was head baseball coach at Taylor County High School from 1973-1992 where he had seven district runner-up teams, as well as three regional runner-up teams. His teams also won six SKAC championships and were four-time conference runners-up. His overall win loss record is 674 wins and 360 losses. His teams won ten district championships, seven district runners-up, and three regional runners-up. 

Coach Shaw has coached in over 1,000 games, which span five decades, and was named the Southern Kentucky Athletic Conference Coach of the Year six times. In 1999, the Taylor County High School baseball field was named Shaw Field in honor and recognition of Coach Shaw’s dedication and contributions to the Cardinal baseball program. He is a member of the 2002 class of inductees into the Kentucky High School Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame and Taylor County’s representative in the Fifth Region Athletic Director’s Hall of Fame, class of 2005. Coach Shaw and Gail, his wife of sixty-six plus years, raised three children: Jeff, David, and Mary Jo.

Billy B. Smith was a standout player in high school. He was named All-State Honorable Mention in 1950 & 1951 and received All-Conference, All-District, and All-Region honors his senior year. He also helped lead his team to one  state basketball tournament appearance. Mr. Smith was voted best player in the region his junior and senior years. He also played basketball at Campbellsville College where his team won the Kentucky Junior College Conference and went on to the national tournament in Kansas. 

After setting a two-year scoring record for the Kentucky Junior College Conference, Smith  continued his college basketball career at Union University in Jackson, Tennessee, where he was  co-captain. After graduation he completed his master’s degree at the University of Kentucky. Smith  served as athletic director and coached baseball and boys’ basketball at Taylor County. 

As boys’ basketball coach from 1956-1973, he compiled a record of 306-183. His basketball teams  won five district titles, one region title and finished regional runner-up twice. In 1963, his team went  on to the KHSAA Sweet 16 where they fell in the quarterfinals by one point to Lexington Dunbar.  The 1963 team featured future Division I and professional player Clem Haskins. Success was  evident thanks to teams that won 20+ games in a season seven times and 30+ games once. 

Smith served as president of the Kentucky High School Coaches Association in 1975. He was  President of the Southern Kentucky Athletic Conference for 10 years. In 1985, Smith retired from  Taylor County after 30 years as an educator and coach. He was inducted into the KHSAA Hall of  Fame in 2004. After retirement, he continued to be extremely active in his community. He has been  president of the Campbellsville-Taylor County Chamber of Commerce and received the  Distinguished Alumnus award from Campbellsville University in 1980. Having also been named to  CU’s Athletic Hall of Fame, Smith served on the University’s Advisory Board and served three terms  as chairman of the Taylor County Hospital Board of Directors. He also served as a director of the  Green River Feeder Calf Association, as a member of the Kentucky Cattleman’s Association and as  a member of the Taylor County Extension Board and the Agriculture Development Council. Smith  owned and operated the Taylor County Stockyards in partnership with family for many years and  had previously worked there for 50 years before his departure in 1998. 

𝑆𝑎𝑟𝑎ℎ 𝐷𝑎𝑣𝑖𝑑𝑠𝑜𝑛 - 𝐴𝑐𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑚𝑖𝑐𝑠

Mrs. Davidson grew up in the family of David and Etta Garnett in the Palestine neighborhood of Taylor County. She had two brothers, Lewis and Larry Garnett, and attended Palestine one-room school for grades 1-7. That is where her love for teaching and learning began. Her teacher would let Sarah work with younger students in reading and math and let her read with the grade ahead of her. Consolidation of elementary schools led her to attend Taylor County Schools in the eighth grade. She graduated in 1959.

Earning a BS degree in Elementary Education with a Minor in English from Campbellsville College, Mrs. Davidson then completed a master’s degree and rank one from Western Kentucky University.

She began teaching first grade in Taylor County in the spring of 1966. She then taught three years in sixth grade, four years in third grade, and 28 years in fifth grade. In addition to teaching those 35 years, she served on the Site Based Council for five years, as secretary for the Academic Boosters Club, and served on many committees for both school and her church. She was Chairperson for Campbellsville College’s 2000 Campaign Committee and the Children’s Divisional Director at Campbellsville Baptist Church.

In the spring of 2002, Davidson retired and served on a Scholastic Audit Team for the Kentucky Department of Education. That fall, she went back to her love of helping students for 20 more years. She worked on supplemental and enrichment programs and worked in math intervention at the intermediate school until the spring of 2021. After that, she helped take care of her great-grandson while his parents worked.

Her greatest reward as a teacher was seeing students reach their learning goals and later becoming successful adults. Davidson was named twice to Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers and PTA Teacher of the Month. She received the Outstanding Service Award for Excellence in Teaching by Campbellsville University and many Perfect Attendance Awards. She also received the Campbellsville/Taylor County Chamber of Commerce Educator of the Year Award in 2021. 

As a member of KEA, NEA, KRTA, TCRTA, AARP, and Campbellsville University President’s Club, she also serves on the Homebound Ministry of Campbellsville Baptist Church and Operation Christmas Child Ministry.

Mrs. Davidson is grateful not only to the Taylor County School administrators, colleagues, and students for allowing her to serve this many years, but also for the support of her family, which includes her husband Clarence, her children Carlotta Johns and husband Terry, Tom Davidson and wife Neli; her grandchildren Matthew Johns and wife Dr. Brandi Johns, J.T. Johns, Oliver Davidson, Haley Johns, wife of their sadly missed Logan Johns who went to be with the Lord just after graduating from law school in 2023, and her great-grandson Wade Johns.  

Calvin Chaney - Agriculture

Calvin Chaney was raised on a 210-acre farm in the Saloma community of Taylor County, Kentucky. Tobacco, beef cattle, corn, hay, and swine led to a busy family lifestyle. Tobacco was still “king” during this era. Calvin was very active in FFA at Taylor County High School. He showed beef cattle and was the 1963-64 chapter president.

He seriously considered majoring in agriculture and becoming a teacher early on in high school. After graduating from TCHS in 1964, Calvin completed two years at Campbellsville College and transferred to the University of Kentucky in the fall of 1966. He received his bachelor’s degree in 1968 and his master’s in 1971.

After teaching for one year in the Franklin County School System in Frankfort, the Taylor County Board of Education offered the agriculture teaching position to Calvin. He would lead a one teacher department with over 60 students. From the beginning, Calvin was enthused and grateful for the opportunity to move the agriculture department and FFA forward. The ag department became a two teacher staff in 1974. With the addition of Murrell Graves, the number of students in ag very quickly became more than 110. Murrell added much to the department, especially in the area of agriculture mechanics, in addition to FFA and the traditional agricultural curriculum.

Mr. Chaney says that his teaching career was shorter than he anticipated but looking back, he is very proud of the many leaders who emerged from that seven-year period including full-time farmers, part-time farmers, and a number of distinguished businessmen in agriculture and other related fields. Hearing from so many students who tell him what the FFA program meant to them is truly a rewarding group honor. Mr. Chaney’s favorite award is being named an “Outstanding Secondary Educator” in 1974.

In July of 1977, Mr. Chaney was hired by Taylor County Bank to be their agriculture representative. In January 1979, he was employed by Federal Land Bank, which is now Farm Credit Services. He retired from FCS in October 2007. Mr. Chaney says that he was blessed to experience life in the agriculture arena throughout his entire career.

Calvin and his wife, Betty Moss Chaney, have been married since June 17, 1967. They have a daughter, Lori Hardy, and a son, Chris Chaney. Grandchildren are Mary Kathryn and Ben Garvey and Lillian Chaney. Mr. Chaney says, “I continue to cherish my time as an FFA member, agriculture teacher, and I admire what our current teachers and students are accomplishing in our community.”

Jeff Arnold - Agriculture

From an early age, Jeff Arnold knew he wanted to farm and sees farming as more of a lifestyle than a job. He grew up on his family’s farm where they raised beef cattle, hogs, grain and tobacco. He feels it is an honor to be the third generation of his family to work on the farm where he lives. Now he is proudly sharing his knowledge and workload with his son, Mason, as the fourth generation to take on the challenge of the agriculture industry.

Upon entering high school, Jeff became active in Taylor County FFA where he served as treasurer, vice president, and chapter president his senior year. He also served as Lake Cumberland Regional Treasurer and was honored to be named Regional Vice President for the Kentucky FFA Association. During his time in FFA, Jeff achieved the Kentucky Farmer Degree and the American Farmer Degree. After graduating from Taylor County High School in 1985, Jeff worked on the family farm while attending Lindsey Wilson College and the University of Kentucky, where he was a member of Farmhouse Fraternity. He later had the opportunity to serve as Kentucky FFA Alumni President.

In 1989, Jeff and his father opened Arnold Feed and Seed while still working and expanding their farming operation. He has had the opportunity to lead and serve in the agriculture community through the UK Phillip Morris Agriculture Leadership Program and the Kentucky Farm Bureau Young Farmer Committee. Jeff was named the 2019 Campbellsville/Taylor County Chamber of Commerce Agribusiness Person of the Year and 2020 Taylor County Cattlemen’s Association Cattlemen of the Year.

Jeff has been married to Connie Cox Arnold since 1992. They have two children, Grace Stilts and Mason Arnold. They have one grandchild with another on the way. Jeff is anxious to begin sharing his love of agriculture with the fifth generation of the Arnold family.

Cora Renfro - Arts & Music

Cora Renfro is a native Taylor Countian who now resides in the Holmes Bend area of Adair County, near Green River Lake, with her husband, James. They have two children, Jaime and Dwight, his wife Renee, and their three children, Piper, Waverly, and Jameson. Cora’s parents were Charles Gaddie Cowherd and Audrey Reynolds; both set examples of Christian values, hard work, and creativity. They raised four children, Cora, Charles Vernon, Eddie, and Wayne (Red) on a farm near Saloma, later moving to Campbellsville.

Cora graduated from Taylor County High School in 1966. She started classes at Campbellsville College that summer and graduated in 1969 with one of the first art area degrees awarded by the college. She went on to Western Kentucky University to attain a master’s degree and rank one.

Cora retired from a 35 year career in teaching. She began as an elementary art teacher at Russell County Schools and completed her tenure as an art instructor at Taylor County High School for 21 years. She continued to hone her skills in a variety of art media. She sought to share with her many students her love for art and to help them develop their own talents. She went on to Campbellsville University as an adjunct art instructor for several years.

Since retirement, Cora devotes her time to family, church, and art. She has exhibited her artwork, given her testimony and inspirational talks at many churches in surrounding counties, including Campbellsville University, Lindsey Wilson College, and women’s conferences and retreats in Kentucky and Tennessee.

She said, “I have been so excited about the watercolor paintings I’ve been doing. I love combining realism and abstraction with lots of color and design. My subjects come from the Bible and my

inspiration and help come from the Lord. Art has given me a way to share worship through the eyes of an artist.”

“Art is a collaboration between God and the artist, and the less the artist does, the better!” (Andre Gide). Cora says God is to receive all the glory.

Roger Blair - Arts & Music

Roger Blair was born on February 10, 1956, and raised on a dairy farm in the Willowtown area of Taylor County. He was the seventh of eight children and was born into a very artistic family. Many of his brothers and sisters are talented artists and craftsmen, so he had lots of people to emulate growing up.

He attended Taylor County Elementary, and while there, he remembers always being chosen to draw the bulletin board art in his classrooms and being encouraged by his teachers to use his talent. At Taylor County High School, he had art class under Mr. Paul Stanley and was further encouraged to continue his passion. While in high school, he ran cross country and track and was the captain of both teams his junior and senior years. He graduated from TCHS in 1974 and started working on the family farm.

Roger has been infatuated with nature since he was a very young boy, watching birds and wildlife in their natural habitats. So, it isn’t surprising that as his art evolved it seemed to mimic the things he had observed his entire life.

In 1975, after watching a segment on the news about a man who carved, Roger decided to try his hand at wood carving. He had always enjoyed whittling but had never tried to carve an object from wood. He picked up a piece of cedar he had cut from the top of a cedar post while fencing and carved a small owl. That was the beginning of his love of wood carving. He then found a piece of walnut and some old wood chisels, and amazingly, it turned into another owl. He then focused on trying other wildlife: birds, fish, and horses. One piece led to another, and in the late 1970s, he decided to take his work to the St. James Art Fair in Louisville, Kentucky. There, he sold some pieces of his work and was encouraged to come back. He was also introduced to Bill Walker, a local dulcimer maker, who hired him to create carved scrolls for his dulcimers. One of those dulcimers was exhibited in the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, DC. He was juried into the Kentucky Arts and Crafts Guild and began his journey as a wood sculptor, while still continuing his first love, farming.

Roger won the Purchase Award at the Schmidt Coke Art Museum’s 12th Annual Coca-Cola Art Show in 1983. He was chosen to exhibit and sell his work with the Kentucky Arts and Craft Foundation in Louisville and was introduced to the Kentucky First Lady, Phyllis George Brown. He was one of the artists invited to the Arts and Crafts Foundation’s elite Bourbon Ball and exhibited at the Home of the Governor for their Derby Brunch in 1987 and 1988. In 1989, he was chosen by Phyllis George Brown to be one of the Kentucky craftsmen featured in her book, “Kentucky Crafts Handmade and Heartfelt.” It was also during this time that the Owensboro Museum of Fine Art purchased one of Roger’s sculptures for permanent display. Roger has sold multiple works of art all over the world and has enjoyed years of talking to other craftsmen and getting to know many interesting people.

He now enjoys carving for enjoyment and sharing time with his wife, Donna, and their sons, Benjamin and Andrew, and grandsons, Judah and Abram. He also enjoys spending time raising Angus cattle on the family farm, and he is currently a bus driver for the Taylor County Transportation Department and hopes he is making an impact on the lives of the students on his bus.

He credits all his achievements to the talent given to him by God and knows it was only through Him that he was ever given the opportunities and accolades that he has been afforded.

𝐷𝑜𝑢𝑔 𝑊𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑙𝑒𝑟 - 𝐴𝑡ℎ𝑙𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑠

Doug Wingler is a 1985 Taylor County High School graduate where he was a standout, three-sport athlete, playing football, basketball, and baseball. During his time at TCHS, Doug was involved in a variety of successful teams. He played on the first Sub-District Football Championship Team and participated in the school’s first ever football playoff game. In basketball, he was part of the 1982 and 1984 District Championship Teams and the 1983 Regional Championship Team. Doug was also part of the District Baseball Championship Teams in 1982 and 1985.

While on these teams, Doug was recognized as an outstanding player and teammate. Some of his most notable individual recognitions occurred during the last two years of his high school career. In his junior year, Doug was named All-SKAC, and Honorable Mention All-State in football and was awarded All-Fifth Region and All-District honors in basketball. He was also voted All-Conference in baseball.

During his senior year, Doug was again named All-SKAC in football and was voted 2nd All-State safety. In basketball that year, he was Honorable Mention All-State, All-Fifth Region, All-SKAC, All-District, and scored his 1,000th career point, becoming the 14th member of the boys basketball 1,000 Point Club. In addition to his other awards, the school recognized him with the Taylor County Athletic Boosters Sportsman Award and he was named TCHS Outstanding Athlete and voted Mr. TCHS. He also served as vice president of the school’s Varsity T Club.

After graduating from TCHS, Doug attended Campbellsville College and played both basketball, under the legendary Coach Lou Cunningham, and baseball, for Coach Danny Davis. After his first year, he transferred to Shelton State in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, to continue playing baseball. It was during his time in Tuscaloosa

that Doug met his wife Trish. After receiving his associate’s degree from Shelton State, he received a full scholarship to attend and play baseball for Coach John Mason at the University of Louisville. He was a catcher and received Second Team All-Metro Conference honors. Doug graduated from Louisville with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science in 1989.

Doug married Trish and moved to California, where he developed a love for softball by coaching his daughters Emily and Rachel. He began coaching at Clear Lake High School in Lakeport, California, as an assistant coach for seven seasons before taking over the program as the head coach for three seasons. In 2018, Doug accepted the head softball coaching position at Mendocino College and continues coaching at Mendocino.

Doug would be remiss not to acknowledge all those who supported him during his time at TCHS and after his graduation. A special thank you to his parents Marshall and Betty Wingler for their total support during his time at TCHS and to his sister, Sissy (Wingler) Corbin. A thank you, as well, to Trish Wingler for all her support and his two beautiful daughters, Emily and Rachel.

“I was truly blessed to be part of some incredible teams, coached by incredible coaches and surrounded by incredible friends. I was truly blessed for the time I spent at TCHS. Thank you, everyone.”

Chris Thomas - Athletics

Christopher Thomas is a 2009 graduate of Taylor County High School. Chris was a member of the Taylor County Football Team from 2005 - 2009 where he is most known for his success as a running back. In addition to football, Chris was a member of the basketball team, track team, and was a powerlifter.

During his senior football season, Chris served as a co-captain of the team and was named the 5th Region Sportsmanship Male Athlete of the Year and 5th Region Football Player of the Year. Chris set school records in football rushing yards and in powerlifting. He also earned two State Weightlifting Championships. He was an instrumental part of the 2008 District Championship team, the first in school history to win a district title. As a senior running back, he rushed for over 1300 yards that season. Chris was also a part of the 2009 Basketball District Championship team that year.

Chris was an avid member of Taylor County FFA where he served as the chapter’s vice president. He was also a member of the TCHS Pep Club and served as TCHS Senior Class Vice President. Chris was voted Mr. Cardinal by his fellow seniors in the Class of 2009 and earned TCHS Hall of Fame honors.

Chris went on to attend the University of Kentucky where he pursued a degree in Career and Technical Education and was on the 2009 - 2010 UK Football Roster. After graduating, he began working as an agriculture teacher and FFA advisor in the LaRue County School District and continues to do so to this day.

Chris currently resides in Campbellsville with his wife, Makenzie and kids Braxton, Emma, Kieran, and Creed. Alongside his family, Chris operates Hills of Kindness Farm, producing pasture raised meat and eggs. Although Chris spent much time throughout his youth on the court and under the field lights, today he chooses to cheer on his kids from the sidelines.

Chris wasn't able to attend the Hall of Greats ceremony; however, his parents were in attendance, and his mom, Sheila Thomas, accepted the award on his behalf.

Betty Yankey - Athletics

Betty Yankey began teaching business classes at Taylor County High School after graduating from Campbellsville College in 1963. She completed her master’s degree at Western Kentucky University in 1968.

Mrs. Yankey coached the Taylor County High School Cheerleaders from 1975 until 1989. During this time, her squads consistently competed at high levels in KAPOS, YMCA, and other state and national cheer competitions. Her teams also frequently won competitions at their yearly camps, which qualified them to compete in many of the state and national competitions, where she had teams place as high as 10th nationally and 2nd in state competitions.

In 1980, she added the sponsorship of the Taylor County Drill Team (now known as the Taylor County Dance Team), to her resume. In both capacities, as cheer coach and dance coach, she was known for her close attention to detail and commanded respect from her team. She strongly believed, “Cheerleading requires hard work, discipline, and a good attitude, and if a cheerleader has those qualities, there are no limits to the success that can be accomplished.” To that end, she insisted on perfection and left nothing, regardless of how small it may have seemed, overlooked.