Pierce E. Lackey,
Former Mayor, Dies

Pierce E. Lackey, who pioneered in bag-scale radio in Paducah and also served as mayor of the city in 1939-43, died this morning.

Mr. Lackey, seriously ill only about two weeks, died at Barnes Hospital in St. Louis.
At 68, Mr. Lackey was widely known as a broadcaster, civic leader and businessman.

Besides WPAD, Paducah radio station which started operations in 1930, Mr. Lackey had founded six other radio stations. They include WHOP of Hopkinsville.
Others were founded at Mayfield, Madisonville, Nicholasville in Kentucky. Anna in Illinois and Richmond in Indiana.

WPAD started operation at Ritz Hotel, which was promoted by Mr. Lackey.

Mr. Lackey was the son of a two-time Paducah mayor, Ernest Lackey, who was founder of an insurance agency – Foreman and Lackey, which still is operated by one of the Lackey brothers – Prewitt.

Pierce Lackey served in the Navy in World War I after graduation from old Paducah High School. He went into the insurance business during the 1920's, and then started WPAD.
Few radio stations in Kentucky preceded WPAD.

At the outset of the radio operation, which was only the second radio venture for the city, Mr. Lackey had a staff of five. Mr. Lackey did most of the announcing and copywriting.

At various times he staged local programs without preparation, since that station had no network and had to resourcefully fill out all of the day's time.

On some of the programs he lectured; on a few he even sang. He joked about his singing. "The station never made any money until I stopped doing it," he said.

Mr. Lackey broadcast sports and was noted for his rapid-fire delivery in describing football games.

The station broadcast live in many fields – church services, sports, political meeting and, at one time, even a dance marathon.

The only time WPAD has been off the air for any substantial length of time was during the flood of 1937. It was silent for 30 hours as its equipment was being moved to high ground.

Mr. Lackey was an unusually energetic man. Beyond his profession, he contributed to the programs of many clubs as a member and leader.

As mayor, he engineered two tax cuts and helped start the move that led to purchase of Kentucky Utilities Co. and founding of Paducah Power System, which distributes TVA power.

He took the lead in fighting off an effort by some Paducah officials to sell KU a 20 year franchise as the old franchise was expiring in 1940.

As a result of this the city was able to institute court action and eventually win a long fight to obtain TVA power.
When the public finally voted on the proposed acquisition, the vote was overwhelmingly in favor of the arrangement supported vigorously by Mr. Lackey nearly 20 years before.
Mr. Lackey also served on the Paducah Municipal Housing Commission.

Besides being president and general manager of WPAD, Mr. Lackey also had been in the florist, laundry, boat basin and real estate business.

A lifelong Democrat, he also took an active part in politics and at one time served on the Paducah board of education. He ran for mayor for the present term but was defeated.

Mr. Lackey was born in Paducah, as were his six brothers – Prewitt, Hecht, F.S., Herndon, Ezelle and Brian.
F.E. (Dutch Lackey of Radio Station WHOP served as mayor of Hopkinsville and now is director of housing and urban affairs in the state government. Hecht Lackey served two terms as mayor of Henderson; Prewitt Lackey is head of Foreman and Lackey Insurance Co. and vice president of WPAD.
In 1962 Mr. Lackey and his brothers were cited for public contributions as broadcasters.

In urging the Kentucky Broadcasters Association to take more responsibility for public affairs and "to know as much about what is going on in the community as a disc jockey knows about music," a speaker singled out Pierce Lackey and his brothers as "example to all those in the profession."

Pierce Lackey was a fisherman and an excellent amateur photographer.

The Lackey residence is at 3602 Central Ave.

Other survivors are his widow, Mrs. Rubye Lackey, four daughters, Mrs. Mary Bayne Dahl of San Bernardino, Calif.; Mrs. Jane Jones of Paducah; Mrs. Pat McCulloch, San Diego, Calif.; Mrs. Pierce Anna Brown, Los Angeles; a son, Pierce E. Lackey Jr. of Tucson, Ariz., and 13 grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held Saturday at 2 p.m. at Roth Funeral Chapel, with the Rev. Solace M. Freeman of Grace Episcopal Church officiating. Burial will be in Maplelawn Cemetery.

Paducah Sun-Democrat,
Paducah, Ky
Thursday, February 16, 1967, p. 1 and 6-A

Pierce E. Lackey,
Former Mayor, Dies

Pierce E. Lackey, who pioneered in bag-scale radio in Paducah and also served as mayor of the city in 1939-43, died this morning.

Mr. Lackey, seriously ill only about two weeks, died at Barnes Hospital in St. Louis.
At 68, Mr. Lackey was widely known as a broadcaster, civic leader and businessman.

Besides WPAD, Paducah radio station which started operations in 1930, Mr. Lackey had founded six other radio stations. They include WHOP of Hopkinsville.
Others were founded at Mayfield, Madisonville, Nicholasville in Kentucky. Anna in Illinois and Richmond in Indiana.

WPAD started operation at Ritz Hotel, which was promoted by Mr. Lackey.

Mr. Lackey was the son of a two-time Paducah mayor, Ernest Lackey, who was founder of an insurance agency – Foreman and Lackey, which still is operated by one of the Lackey brothers – Prewitt.

Pierce Lackey served in the Navy in World War I after graduation from old Paducah High School. He went into the insurance business during the 1920's, and then started WPAD.
Few radio stations in Kentucky preceded WPAD.

At the outset of the radio operation, which was only the second radio venture for the city, Mr. Lackey had a staff of five. Mr. Lackey did most of the announcing and copywriting.

At various times he staged local programs without preparation, since that station had no network and had to resourcefully fill out all of the day's time.

On some of the programs he lectured; on a few he even sang. He joked about his singing. "The station never made any money until I stopped doing it," he said.

Mr. Lackey broadcast sports and was noted for his rapid-fire delivery in describing football games.

The station broadcast live in many fields – church services, sports, political meeting and, at one time, even a dance marathon.

The only time WPAD has been off the air for any substantial length of time was during the flood of 1937. It was silent for 30 hours as its equipment was being moved to high ground.

Mr. Lackey was an unusually energetic man. Beyond his profession, he contributed to the programs of many clubs as a member and leader.

As mayor, he engineered two tax cuts and helped start the move that led to purchase of Kentucky Utilities Co. and founding of Paducah Power System, which distributes TVA power.

He took the lead in fighting off an effort by some Paducah officials to sell KU a 20 year franchise as the old franchise was expiring in 1940.

As a result of this the city was able to institute court action and eventually win a long fight to obtain TVA power.
When the public finally voted on the proposed acquisition, the vote was overwhelmingly in favor of the arrangement supported vigorously by Mr. Lackey nearly 20 years before.
Mr. Lackey also served on the Paducah Municipal Housing Commission.

Besides being president and general manager of WPAD, Mr. Lackey also had been in the florist, laundry, boat basin and real estate business.

A lifelong Democrat, he also took an active part in politics and at one time served on the Paducah board of education. He ran for mayor for the present term but was defeated.

Mr. Lackey was born in Paducah, as were his six brothers – Prewitt, Hecht, F.S., Herndon, Ezelle and Brian.
F.E. (Dutch Lackey of Radio Station WHOP served as mayor of Hopkinsville and now is director of housing and urban affairs in the state government. Hecht Lackey served two terms as mayor of Henderson; Prewitt Lackey is head of Foreman and Lackey Insurance Co. and vice president of WPAD.
In 1962 Mr. Lackey and his brothers were cited for public contributions as broadcasters.

In urging the Kentucky Broadcasters Association to take more responsibility for public affairs and "to know as much about what is going on in the community as a disc jockey knows about music," a speaker singled out Pierce Lackey and his brothers as "example to all those in the profession."

Pierce Lackey was a fisherman and an excellent amateur photographer.

The Lackey residence is at 3602 Central Ave.

Other survivors are his widow, Mrs. Rubye Lackey, four daughters, Mrs. Mary Bayne Dahl of San Bernardino, Calif.; Mrs. Jane Jones of Paducah; Mrs. Pat McCulloch, San Diego, Calif.; Mrs. Pierce Anna Brown, Los Angeles; a son, Pierce E. Lackey Jr. of Tucson, Ariz., and 13 grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held Saturday at 2 p.m. at Roth Funeral Chapel, with the Rev. Solace M. Freeman of Grace Episcopal Church officiating. Burial will be in Maplelawn Cemetery.

Paducah Sun-Democrat,
Paducah, Ky
Thursday, February 16, 1967, p. 1 and 6-A