Frances Jones Mills | |
|---|---|
| 33rd, 35th, & 37th Kentucky State Treasurer | |
| In office January 6, 1992 – January 1, 1996 | |
| Preceded by | Robert Mead |
| Succeeded by | John Kennedy Hamilton |
| In office January 3, 1984 – January 4, 1988 | |
| Preceded by | Drexell R. Davis |
| Succeeded by | Robert Mead |
| In office January 5, 1976 – January 7, 1980 | |
| Preceded by | Drexell R. Davis |
| Succeeded by | Drexell R. Davis |
| 78th Secretary of State of Kentucky | |
| In office January 7, 1980 – January 3, 1984 | |
| Preceded by | Drexell R. Davis |
| Succeeded by | Drexell R. Davis |
| Clerk of the Kentucky Court of Appeals | |
| In office January 3, 1972 – January 5, 1976 | |
| Preceded by | Dick Vermillion |
| Succeeded by | Martha Layne Collins |
| Member of theKentucky House of Representatives from the 87th district | |
| In office January 1, 1962 – January 1, 1964 | |
| Preceded by | Buford Clark |
| Succeeded by | Harry M. Hoe |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1920-07-04)July 4, 1920 |
| Died | May 24, 1996(1996-05-24) (aged 75) |
Frances Jones Mills (July 4, 1920 – May 24, 1996) was an American politician who was a state official inKentucky for a large portion of the 1970s and 1980s. She was the first woman and first Democrat in the 20th century to win the office of State Representative for theKnox County, Kentucky district. She was also the first woman to serve three (non-successive) terms asKentucky State Treasurer, serving a total of 12 years. She also served asSecretary of State of Kentucky and Clerk of the Kentucky Court of Appeals.[1]
Mills was born in Gray, a small town inKnox County, Kentucky to Dr. William H. Jones and Bertie (Steely) Jones. She graduated fromCumberland College inWilliamsburg, Kentucky and attendedEastern Kentucky State Teacher's College. She taught school in Gray for eight years after which she married Marvin Wayne Bowling, whom she later divorced in the early 1940s. She then married Gene Mills in 1949.[1]
Mills was elected to theKentucky House of Representatives fromKnox County, Kentucky in 1961 as aDemocrat, serving one term from a heavilyRepublican district. She then worked as an aide to the Speaker of the House.
Mills was an unsuccessful candidate for theU.S. House of Representatives in 1964, winning the Democratic nomination but losing the general election to RepublicanTim Lee Carter despite the nationwide Democratic landslide asLyndon B. Johnson retained the presidency by a huge margin overBarry Goldwater.
From 1965 to 1972 she worked for the Kentucky Civil Defense, but in 1971 Mills was nominated for Clerk of theKentucky Court of Appeals. She won that election earning her first statewide office. Mills later sought and won election to the office of StateTreasurer in 1975, 1983, and 1991. She was also elected Secretary of State in 1979. Mills unsuccessfully sought the office ofSecretary of State of Kentucky in 1987, losing toBremer Ehrler, and 1995, losing toJohn Y. Brown III.
For 100 years (1891–1992) theKentucky Constitution did not allow any holder of statewide office to succeed themselves for a second consecutive term. As a result, a handful of Kentucky politicians became known asmusical chairs officeholders because they would run for one statewide office and then another repeatedly.Thelma Stovall,Drexell R. Davis and Mills were the best known musical chairs officeholders in Kentucky. The three often traded offices in given election years through the 1970s and 1980s.
In 1984, Mills and six of her employees in the secretary of state's office were indicted for violating state ethics laws in regards to her election as State Treasurer. Mills was acquitted after a two-year-long case. In the early 1990s she was charged with violating ethics laws and was fined $11,000. She filed an appeal and the case was still pending at the time of her death.
On May 24, 1996, Mills died of cancer and is buried in the Highland Cemetery inWilliamsburg, Kentucky.
{{cite news}}:Missing or empty|title= (help){{cite news}}:Missing or empty|title= (help)| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Democratic nominee forKentucky State Treasurer 1975 | Succeeded by Drexell R. Davis |
| Democratic nominee forSecretary of State of Kentucky 1979 | ||
| Democratic nominee forKentucky State Treasurer 1983 | Succeeded by Robert Mead | |
| Preceded by Robert Mead | Democratic nominee forKentucky State Treasurer 1991 | Succeeded by John Kennedy Hamilton |
| Legal offices | ||
| Preceded by Dick Vermillion | Clerk of theKentucky Court of Appeals 1972–1976 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Kentucky State Treasurer 1976–1980 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Kentucky Secretary of State 1980–1984 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Kentucky State Treasurer 1984–1988 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Kentucky State Treasurer 1992–1996 | Succeeded by |