History Professor elected Chair of the Kentucky Humanities Council Board of Director

MURRAY, Ky. – Dr. Brian Clardy, associate professor of History at Murray State University, has been unanimously elected the next Chair of the Kentucky Humanities Council (KHC) Board of Directors. Clardy was first appointed to the KHC and the Kentucky Oral History Commission by Governor Andy Beshear in 2020. He currently serves as the Vice Chair of the KHC Board to Judge Charles W. Boteler of Louisville, and chair of the Kentucky Oral History Commission.

Kentucky Humanities is an independent, nonprofit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities in Washington, D.C. Kentucky Humanities is dedicated to telling Kentucky’s story through programs and services that create a legacy of pride in the wealth of Kentucky culture, building civic engagement and supporting local humanities programs and events. The organization strives to enable all Kentuckians to take part in learning, sharing and teaching each other about Kentucky’s rich heritage. Along with being committed to providing leadership and developing resources that support the needs of Kentuckians to examine their values, understand their common heritage and build stronger Kentucky communities based on the knowledge, insight and respect inherent in the humanities.

“I am looking forward to serving as chair of the council,” said Clardy. “It is an honor and a privilege to play a role in telling Kentucky’s story. Kentucky gave the world bell hooks and Wendell Berry, and there are a number of upcoming writers and culture creators that I would like to see us uplift. We want to engage the life of the mind. We will also be playing a role in National History Day. I am beyond excited about the road ahead.”

A lifelong resident of the region, Clardy is the son of Mrs. Ginger Clardy of South Fulton, Kentucky, and Dr. George Clardy of Clarksville, Tennessee. Clardy holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Tennessee at Martin (1988) and a Master of Public Administration from Murray State University (1991). He earned his Doctor of Philosophy in Historical Studies from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale (1999).

Clardy is the author of the books The Management of Dissent: Responses to the Post-Kent State Protests at Seven Public Universities in Illinois and A Testament of Grace: Sermons and Reflections. He has also published works in the Journal of Business and Economic Perspectives, the Tennessee Historical Quarterly and the Journal of Church and State, among other publications. He has an article forthcoming in the Tennessee Historical Quarterly about Senator Robert Kennedy’s 1968 Presidential campaign and Kennedy’s speech to the 1968 Impact Symposium at Vanderbilt University.

Clardy’s awards include the Marshall Wingfield Award from the West Tennessee Historical Society for his work on the Watergate correspondence of Congressman Ed Jones, as well as the Lonnie E. Maness Award from the Jackson Purchase Historical Society for his historiographical essay on lynching in the United States.

In addition to his academic accomplishments, Clardy has been passionately involved in civic engagement over the years. From 2009 to 2015, he served as a Board Member of the Center for Renewable Energy Research and Environmental Stewardship, appointed three times by Governor Steve Beshear. From 2011 to 2014, Clardy was a member of the City of Murray Human Rights Commission. He served as a Democratic Presidential Elector for Kentucky’s First Congressional District in 2012 and 2016, and was a delegate to the 2016 and 2020 Democratic National Conventions. He currently serves on the Calloway County Democratic Executive Committee.

Clardy and his wife, Shelia Neely Clardy, are active members of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Murray. Clardy served as a member of the Board of Trustees at Sewanee, The University of the South, representing the Episcopal Diocese of Kentucky. Most recently, Clardy participated in A Legacy Lost & Found: Segregation in Recreation, a documentary film by Dr. Tammy Holmes and Tony Clomax about Cherokee State Park in Marshall County, Kentucky, which opened in 1951 as the only state park for African Americans in Kentucky during a time when public accommodations were segregated. It became a popular Green Book site during this “separate but equal” era. The park closed in 1964 when segregation was outlawed. The historic importance of Cherokee State Park was recognized with a listing on the National Register of Historic Places on Jan. 1, 2009, and the documentary looks at the history of the park and features testimonies from visitors of the park when it was opened many years ago. The film debuted at Murray State University in October 2022.

“We are thrilled to have Dr. Clardy represent Murray State and the Department of History in this important role,” said Dr. Kathy Callahan, chair of the Department of History. “With the continued attacks on the humanities, it is great to know that someone who is so committed to the humanities is assisting the Commonwealth in realizing its goals.”

For more information on the College of Humanities and Fine Arts at Murray State University please visit murraystate.edu/CHFA.