[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 112 (Tuesday, July 12, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4993-S4994]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     TRIBUTE TO JUDGE TOM EMBERTON

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I wish to pay tribute to a good friend 
and mentor of mine who is receiving a great honor from his alma mater 
of Western Kentucky University. Judge Tom Emberton, former chief judge 
of the Kentucky Court of Appeals and a man with a long career of 
renowned service, will be honored as a member of WKU's Hall of 
Distinguished Alumni this October. It is the highest award the 
university can bestow upon an alumnus.
  Judge Emberton recalls that his great aunt began the family tradition 
of attending WKU, and his mother attended also. Tom met his wife at 
WKU, and their two children and all but one of their grandchildren 
attended as well.
  Tom was an active member of the WKU community during his time on 
campus. He was named business manager of the College Heights Herald, 
elected president of his sophomore and junior classes, and president of 
his fraternity. He temporarily interrupted his studies to serve in the 
U.S. Air Force, where he was part of the Strategic Air Command under 
Gen. Curtis LeMay.
  After graduation in 1958, Tom began a long history of public service 
to the people of Kentucky. In 1965, he was elected county attorney. In 
1967, he worked on the winning campaign for Louie Nunn for Governor, 
the first Republican Governor to be elected in the Bluegrass State in 
20 years. After the campaign, Governor Nunn asked Tom to serve as his 
chief administrative aide.
  Tom then became the Republican nominee for Governor himself in 1971. 
I remember the campaign well, as I worked on it for Tom. I had left my 
position as a legislative aide here in the U.S. Senate for Kentucky 
Senator Marlow Cook to go back to Kentucky to work for Tom's campaign 
because I believed in him and in what he could do for the Commonwealth. 
Unfortunately, Tom did not win that race, but he certainly emerged from 
it as a man who had earned admiration and respect around the State. We 
all knew great things were in store for Tom.
  Tom continued to practice law in Barren and Metcalfe counties. Then 
in the late 1980s, he was appointed by then-Governor Wallace Wilkinson 
to the Kentucky Court of Appeals. He was reelected to that panel 
repeatedly and had a long and distinguished career, capped off by being 
elected chief judge by his fellow judges after several years of 
service. He held that chief judge slot until his retirement from the 
bench in 2004.
  To this day, Tom is still active in his community with many volunteer 
and philanthropic activities. He is also an avid reader, and I know one 
of his favorite places to relax is in his office surrounded by books.
  Western Kentucky University has certainly made the right choice in 
selecting Judge Tom Emberton as a distinguished alumni. My friend Tom 
is highly deserving of this honor, and I am sure his family is very 
proud of him and all he has accomplished. I know my U.S. Senate 
colleagues join me in congratulating Judge Emberton for this 
recognition and wishing him the very best in his future life endeavors.
  Mr. President, area publication the Herald News recently published an 
article detailing Judge Emberton's life and career. I ask unanimous 
consent that the article be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                 [From the Herald News, June 29, 2016]

                     Judge Emberton Honored by WKU

                          (By Shirley Mayrand)

       Every couple of years we're reminded of why we're so proud 
     of Judge Tom Emberton. In 2014 he received the Jim C. Coleman 
     Community Service Award, and in October he will join WKU's 
     Hall of Distinguished Alumni during WKU's 2016 Homecomings 
     Celebration at the Sloan Convention Center. It brings back 
     some fond memories.
       ``Western has always been a part of my life,'' Tom said, 
     ``even from a small first grader. My mother went to 
     Western.'' His mom finished a year of college and then got a 
     teaching job at a Monroe County school where they lived at 
     the time. Tom recalls how she told him as a first grader he 
     could continue to have fun when he got to Western.
       The family moved to Metcalfe County right after World War 
     II ended and Tom graduated from Edmonton High School. He 
     attended one semester at Western before going into the U.S. 
     Air Force where he was part of the Strategic Air Command 
     under General Curtis LeMay. ``His mission,'' Tom explained, 
     ``was that if Russia could get an atomic bomb off in this 
     country, that we could respond to that in 15 minutes.''
       In 1955, Tom returned home to resume his education at 
     Western. He credits his great aunt with starting the family 
     tradition of attending WKU. She enrolled in 1909, just three 
     years after it opened. (H.H. Cherry purchased full ownership 
     of the school in 1899 and the Southern Normal School part of 
     the institution became Western Kentucky State Normal School 
     in 1906.)
       Tom met his wife, Julia there, their two children attended 
     and all but one of their grandchildren.
       Tom believes that his active role at WKU was what earned 
     him the honor of being selected for the Hall of Distinguished 
     Alumni. As a student he was named business manager of the 
     College Heights Herald, elected president of his sophomore 
     and junior classes and president of his fraternity.
       Continuing on to the University of Louisville to pursue a 
     law degree, he continued student leadership activities. He 
     was the president of the Delta Theta Phi fraternity and 
     president of the Student Bar Association. ``It's those things 
     that the alumni association looked at to see what you'd done, 
     rather than just walk into class.'' Tom got his law degree in 
     1962 and was elected as county attorney in 1965.
       In 1967, Tom was tapped by Louis Nunn to assist in his 
     campaign for governor. When Nunn won the election he asked 
     Tom to move to Frankfort and be his chief administrative 
     aide. At that time a governor could only serve one four-year 
     term. Tom's own bid for the governorship ended after winning 
     the Republican primary, and he returned to the farm at Cave 
     Ridge to practice law in Barren and Metcalfe counties, where 
     he brought Jim C. Coleman in as a law partner.
       Around 1976, Tom opened the Southern Mineral coal mine in 
     Hyden (Lesley County), KY. Coal was very lucrative at the 
     time, but within a few years the bottom dropped out and he 
     returned to law once again.
       Over his long, successful career, his greatest satisfaction 
     came while serving as a Kentucky Court of Appeals Judge. He 
     was first

[[Page S4994]]

     appointed around 1988 to fill a vacancy, then was re-elected 
     to the 14-judge panel repeatedly until he retired in 2004 
     after being elected Chief Judge in 2001. From 2004 to 2009 he 
     was required to substitute as necessary.
       ``I made the mistake of buying a bunch of cattle. I've been 
     an avid reader all my life, and I made plans that when I 
     retired I was just going to sit up here (in my office) and 
     read. I haven't gotten through ten percent of them and I'm 84 
     years old.''
       Reminiscing once more on WKU, Tom concluded, ``I worked at 
     a filling station greasing cars and changing tires during 
     high school. If it had not been for Western; if Dr. Cherry 
     had decided not to set a building in Bowling Green . . . I'd 
     probably still be doing that today.''

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