He had seven brothers: Henry, Milton, Billy, Davis, Jerry, Alan, and James; and five sisters Kitty Ann, Lena, Jenny, Mildred, and Peggye.
He won a five way Democratic Party primary by winning 85,037 votes while his closest competitor, Jerry C. Alleyne, totaled 37,235.
[2][3] His name is on the well known case of Stone v. Graham where the state of Kentucky was sued over a statute requiring the posting of the Ten Commandments in public schools.
He served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Kentucky Teachers Retirement System from 1976 to 1980.
While living in Nelson County, he was a member and deacon of the Bardstown Baptist Church.