Wilson W. Wyatt

Wilson Watkins Wyatt (November 21, 1905 – June 11, 1996) served as Mayor of Louisville, Kentucky from 1941 to 1945 and as the 43rd Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky from 1959 to 1963. He was a member of the Democratic Party.

Early years

Wyatt was born in Louisville and attended the University of Louisville and the University of Louisville School of Law. He was admitted to the bar in 1927. He was the principal counsel for The Louisville Courier-Journal and other Bingham family-owned media companies prior to launching his political career.

Wyatt's political career began with his election as the mayor of Louisville in 1941. He took office just after the bombing of Pearl Harbor ushered the United States into World War II. Wyatt made civil defense a priority in his city and also initiated Louisville's planning and zoning commission.

At the 1944 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Wyatt was called upon to soothe the ruffled feelings of U.S. Senator Alben W. Barkley of Kentucky, who was scheduled to give the nomination speech for U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Barkley at first said he would not make the speech after FDR passed him up for the vice-presidential recommendation in favor of Harry S Truman of Missouri. Wyatt came to Barkley's hotel room to tell the senator that he had no realistic choice but to make the speech as planned or he would appear as a spoiled loser. James A. Farley, FDR's former Postmaster General and Barkley confidant, agreed with Wyatt and insisted that Barkley give what is recalled as a particularly effective oration on Roosevelt's behalf.