Born in Louisville, Kentucky, Lively received an Artium Baccalaureus degree from Centre College in 1943 and served as a Lieutenant (J.G.)
in the United States Naval Reserve during World War II, from 1943 to 1946.
[2] On September 12, 1972, Lively was nominated by President Richard Nixon to a seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit vacated by Judge Henry Luesing Brooks.
He served as Chief Judge from 1983 to 1988, assuming senior status on January 1, 1989.
[2] He stopped hearing cases on December 31, 2007, but remained in senior status until his death on March 12, 2016.