Martha Layne Collins, Kentucky's First Woman Governor, Dies

Former Kentucky Governor Martha Layne Collins, the Commonwealth’s first and only woman governor, has died at 88. She served as Kentucky’s 56th governor from 1983 to 1987 after serving as lieutenant governor and chaired the 1984 Democratic National Convention; she was once considered by Walter Mondale as a potential running mate. Her signature accomplishment was securing Toyota’s first U.S. manufacturing plant in Georgetown in 1986, which created thousands of jobs and spurred lasting regional economic growth. Collins’s administration pushed statewide public education initiatives that led to major education reforms. After leaving office she served as president of St. Catharine College and taught at Harvard’s Kennedy School. Kentucky leaders, including Gov. Andy Beshear and Attorney General Russell Coleman, mourned her as a trailblazer who opened doors for women in state leadership.