William Manon Cornett

William "Manon" Cornett was a Kentucky politician and served as Chief of Staff to Congressman John W. Langley from 1912 to 1914. and Deputy Insurance Commissioner for the State of Kentucky from 1921 to 1924.[1]

Manon was born on September 9, 1882 in Cornettsville, Perry County, Kentucky (near Hazard) on September 9, 1882, and died May 3, 1956.[2]

William 'Manon' Cornett as Chief of Staff of Congressman John W. Langley 1912

Early life

Manon Cornett was the eldest child of Eli H. Cornett and Jane Combs Cornett. In 1900 at the age of 18 he was listed as a 'farmer'[3] At 19, he attended the University of Kentucky in Lexington, Kentucky, for one year.[4] In 1903 he married Clara Belle Eversole[5] and had three (3) children: Juanita Nell Cornett (wife of Arch Glass Mainous), Joseph E. Cornett, and Claribel Cornett. Manon's father, Eli H. Cornett, was Sheriff of Perry County, Kentucky.[6]

Life in Washington, DC

In 1912 he was appointed the private secretary (i.e. Chief of Staff) for Congressman John W. Langley and lived in Washington, D.C. at 1801 1st Street, NW though 1915.[7][8][9] While in Washington he was involved with an organization called the 'Sons of Jonadab'[10]

Life in Frankfort, Kentucky

After his stint with Congressman Langley, Manon and his family returned to Hazard, Kentucky. Shortly thereafter, he was appointed Deputy Insurance Commissioner by the incoming Republican Governor Edwin P. Morrow, a post he held for 4 years (ending in January 1924). While in Frankfort, he lived at 416 West Main Street.[11] During this period, Manon was published in various news articles discussing various Insurance Matters.[12][13][14]

At the Kentucky underwriters meeting held at Frankfort, Kentucky he gave a headline speech on January 13, 1921 that was covered on the front page of the The State Journal.[15] Later in the year, he attended the National Association of Insurance Commissioners Annual convention in Louisville, Kentucky, on September 27, 1921.

After politics

Manon left politics in 1924 at the age of 36 returning to Hazard, Kentucky.[16] By trade, he was a lawyer. He died on May 3, 1956 at the Shady Grove Sanitarium in Eminence, Kentucky. He is buried in Hillcrest Memorial Park in Lexington, Kentucky with his family.

References

  1. History of Kentucky by Judge Charles Kerr, Volume 5, Page 307 and 308 published by the American Historical Society, 1922 https://archive.org/details/historyofkentuck05kerr
  2. Findagrave: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi/page/gr/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=108047519
  3. 1900 Kentucky Census, Perry County, Kentucky
  4. History of Kentucky by Judge Charles Kerr, Volume 5, Page 307 and 308 published by the American Historical Society, 1922
  5. October 13, 1903, Hazard, Perry County, Ky marriage certificate.
  6. Sheriff's of Perry County, Kentucky: Eli H. Cornett (1898-1902) http://hazardkentucky.com/more/sherifflist.htm
  7. 1912 Washington DC City directory
  8. 1913 Washington DC City directory
  9. 1914 Washington DC City Directory
  10. December 13, 1913, Washington Post, Washington, DC
  11. 1922 Frankfort City Directory
  12. March 3, 1921, The Clay City Times, Clay City, Kentucky
  13. February 24, 1922, Mountain Advocate
  14. March 9, 1921, Breckinridge Times
  15. January 13, 1921 The State Journal, Frankfort, Kentucky 'Insurance Men hear Speech of Manon Cornett'
  16. 1930 Hazard, Perry County, Census
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