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Mystery Person #10: William Abner Stanfill, United States Senator from Hazard
William Stanfill was appointed as a Republican to the United States Senate on November 19, 1945 to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Happy Chandler. Stanfill served from November 19, 1945 to November 5, 1946 when a successor was elected. He was not a candidate for nomination to the vacancy in 1946. Stanfill resumed his law practice in Hazard. He eventually moved to Lexington where he died on June 12, 1971. We appreciate everyone who participated in the mystery. Mary Jo Edwards of Carmel, Indiana thought our Mystery Man might be Courtney Wells. Elizabeth Duncan of Hazard said it could be Willis W. Reeves. Dexter Melton in Hazard thought it could be Sam Ward or Jasper Smith. All good guesses. Congratulations to IdaLee Hansel of Spartanburg, South Carolina and Megan Turner of Hazard for correctly identifying William Abner Stanfill as Mystery Person #10. Recent Mystery Men Joe Foley M. C. Napier Dudley Goodlette R. L. Collins John Gross Blondie Eblen Clymon Shelton Zeke Smith Fred Combs Lus Oxley S. B. Snyder Carl Seale Nell Harper |
William
Stanfill was born on January 16, 1892 in Barbourville, Kentucky and was
the son of Joshua and Lura Faulkner Stanfill. He attended the public
schools and Union College and graduated from the law department of the
University of Kentucky in Lexington where he was awarded a Bachelor of Laws degree
in 1912. He began his legal career in Barbourville, later moving to
Hyden in 1915 and to Hazard in 1916. On July 17, 1917 he married May
Begley of
Hazard. He was an attorney in Hazard for decades as a member of the
law firm of Faulkner, Stanfill and Faulkner from 1916 until 1925 and Craft
and Stanfill from 1925 until 1950.