Barkley’s Grave

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Historical Marker #1112 in Paducah marks the grave of Alben W. Barkley, who was vice president in President Harry S. Truman's administration.

When giving a speech at a student convention in Virginia, Barkley famously stated, "I would rather be a servant in the house of the Lord than to sit in the seats of the mighty." Moments later, he suffered a fatal heart attack.

Born in a log house in 1877 near Lowes in Graves County, Barkley's parents were tenant farmers who raised tobacco. After moving to a wheat farm near Clinton in Hickman County in 1891, Barkley enrolled at Marvin College, from which he received a Bachelor of Arts degree within five years.

After struggling with poverty in the late 1890s, Barkley worked as a law clerk for barristers William Bishop and Jon Hendrick. In 1901, he passed the bar examination and opened his own law office. Shortly thereafter, Barkley ran for a number of political offices, winning most of his elections. Eventually, Barkley ran for U.S. Congress and served seven terms from 1913 to 1927. As a representative, Barkley sought governmental solutions to a number of social problems, including child labor. He was also at the forefront for future prohibition measures.

In 1923, Barkley ran for Kentucky governor. He sometimes made up to sixteen speeches a day, earning him the nickname "Iron Man" for his spirited campaign. Despite these speeches, he narrowly lost the Democratic gubernatorial primary to J. Campbell Cantrill. Barkley then ran for the U.S. Senate in 1926 and won that election.

During the 1930s and early 1940s, Barkley played a national role as President Franklin D. Roosevelt's spokesman and policy-shaper. Although he was a front runner to become Roosevelt's final running mate, the president instead chose Harry Truman. In 1948, however, Truman asked Barkley to serve as his running mate, becoming the oldest man to take the oath as vice president.

Barkley married his first wife, Tennessean Dorothy Brower, in 1903. They had three children. Although Dorothy died of heart disease in 1947, Barkley continued his career, gaining more popularity. He married his second wife, Jane Rucker Hadley, in 1949, making him the only vice president to wed while in office.

It was at the end of a keynote address given to students of Washington and Lee University on April 30, 1956, that Barkley said his famous line and suffered a heart attack. He is buried in Paducah at Mount Kenton Cemetery.

The marker reads:

BARKLEY'S GRAVE

Alben W. Barkley, "The Veep," was Senate majority leader under President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Vice-President under President Harry S. Truman. He died on April 30, 1956, while addressing a mock Democratic Convention at Washington and Lee Univ. His last words were: "I would rather be a servant in the house of the Lord than sit in the seats of the mighty."

ALBEN W. BARKLEY

Alben W. Barkley, Vice President of United States, 1949-53. Member U.S. Senate, 1927-49 and 1955-56; Senate Democratic leader 13 years; House of Representatives 1913-27. Born in Lowes, Ky., 1877. Came to Paducah 1898. Elected to first public office as McCracken County Attorney, 1905. County Judge, 1909. Buried in Mt. Kenton Cemetery, in 1956. Loved and honored by nation. Presented by McCracken County Fiscal Court.

This marker was dedicated in 1968.