Blue Run’s Brand Evolution, Exploring Kentucky: A Site in each County, Hill Sisters on Kindergarten, and More
With Mother Nature and Mr. Freeze Meister seemingly in cahoots, the time seems right to kick off our 2024 Bourbon programming at the Frazier.
With that, we invite you to escape from the confiding cocoon with us and discover what has been described as a whiskey metamorphosis at Blue Run Bourbon.
Blue Run Frazier Barrel Selection bottle. Credit: Frazier History Museum.
A rendering of the upcoming Blue Run Spirits distillery in Georgetown, Scott County, Kentucky, which is set to open in 2025. Credit: Blue Run Spirits.
On February 21, Bourbon’s Butterfly: Blue Run’s Brand Evolution will not only provide guests with a rare opportunity to secure the Frazier’s Blue Run Barrel Selection, but it will also tantalize guests with an immersive culinary and tasting experience, while learning the brand’s secret for its incredible early success.
Working with Bourbon Hall-of-Famer Jim Rutledge, Blue Run has produced award-winning Bourbons and ryes deep in the traditions of whiskeymaking. The brand released photos of its museum-like distillery project in Georgetown, Scott County—and in August, it was purchased by Molson Coors Beverage Company. Come learn what all the buzz is about!
I’m excited to announce that Black Jockeys Lounge will offer delicious food pairings for our every tasting. And how about this: if you purchase your bottle in advance, the program is free. If you simply want to come to have a good time, you can do that too by purchasing a ticket here. Live a little, come have a taste!
In today’s issue of Frazier Weekly, Simon Meiners takes another step forward in our incredibly exciting 120: Cool KY Counties project, which will include a must-see spot to visit in each of Kentucky’s 120 counties. Kent Klarer looks at the newest class of Hometown Heroes—one of whom, a doctor, performed life-saving surgery on a future Frazier staff member back in 1972.
Toss in a Frazier+ video on the Hill sisters, additions to the Frazier’s Bottle Hall, and NFL quarterbacks with Kentucky ties—and this Frazier Weekly is loaded!
I hope you enjoy.
Andy Treinen
President & CEO
Frazier History Museum
This Week in the Museum
As part of our 120: Cool KY Counties exhibit, we’re curating a list of 120 unique sites to visit: one site in each county! In 2024, once a month, we’ll share sites in ten counties, completing the list in December. For January, we’re sharing sites in these counties: Adair, Allen, Anderson, Ballard, Barren, Bath, Bell, Boone, Bourbon, and Boyd.
I extend a special thank you to Kentucky Historical Society, whose Historical Marker Program has been a brilliant resource for this list!
Horse-mounting block in Columbia, Adair County, December 12, 2023. Kentucky Historical Society erected a marker in 2007. Credit: Frazier History Museum.
Graffiti on a wall behind the door in the attic of the Bath County Courthouse in Owingsville, Kentucky, August 5, 2023. Credit: Frazier History Museum.
Exterior of the Rabbit Hash General Store in Rabbit Hash, Boone County, March 4, 2023. Credit: w_lemay, Flickr.
Horse-Mounting Block from the 1850s. (37° 5.953′ N, 85° 18.457′ W) In 1855, the Columbia Male & Female High School opened in Columbia, Adair County. The school was absorbed by the public school system in 1908, closed in the 1960s, and razed. One remaining relic is a sidewalk-adjacent stone step-block, which students used to mount and dismount the horses they rode for their commute.
Birthplace of Dollar General. (36°45’07.6” N 86°11’00.0” W) In 1939, Scottsville, Allen County, resident J. L. Turner Jr. and his son Cal founded J. L. Turner & Son Wholesale. In 1955, the chain rebranded as Dollar General, adopting Cal’s idea for the now-iconic name and black and yellow signage. The original J. L. Turner & Son office and warehouse near Sixth and Main has been razed and replaced with a replica.
Anna Mac Clarke Headstone. (38°00’49.3” N 84°53’06.8” W) In 1942, Anna Mac Clarke (1919–44) became one of the first Black women in Kentucky to enlist during WWII. In 1942, she became the platoon leader of an all-white company. She also led desegregation efforts in the Army. Raised in Lawrenceburg, Anderson County, she grew up playing football and attending Sunday School.
Wickliffe Mounds. (36°58’15.9” N 89°05’32.2” W) Around 1100 to 1350 CE, Mississippian peoples built a village around giant flat-topped earthen mounds they dug near present-day Wickliffe, Ballard County. Residents grew corn and squash, hunted and fished, and traded. The mounds’ remnants have since become a state historic site where pottery, stone tools, and other excavated artifacts are on display.
Bell’s Tavern. (37°05’31.1” N 86°02’59.4” W) Around 1820, in what is now Park City, Barren County, Billy Bell founded a tavern. He catered to stagecoach-riding Mammoth Cave tourists, serving them his famous peach brandy. A fire destroyed the tavern in 1858. In 1860, enslaved laborers began a rebuild; however, the Civil War broke out and construction ended. The aborted stone tavern remains as is today.
Clem Fassett’s Ghost Graffiti. (38°08’40.4” N 83°45’51.6” W) In 1895, John Young Jr., the son of a congressman, knifed his cousin Clem Fassett in front of the Owingsville, Bath County, courthouse. In 1899, the governor controversially pardoned Young. Behind the attic door, you can still find an undated, hand-written alert: “Clem Fasset killed by John Young Clem Fassets gost inhabits this court house attic.”
Oldest Golf Course. (36°36’59.0” N 83°43’44.3” W) Around 1889, the Kentucky Golf Club, now called the Country Club of Middlesboro, opened in Middlesboro, Bell County. Thirty men and women paid the $2 membership dues. The course still operates—making it the oldest continually played golf course in the US. The course, like the town itself, is situated inside a three-mile-diameter meteorite impact crater.
Rabbit Hash General Store. (38°56’32.0” N 84°50’45.5” W) Since 1831, a general store—destroyed by a fire in 2016 and rebuilt—has operated in Rabbit Hash, Boone County. If they’re lucky, customers can meet the mayor of Rabbit Hash—a role that, since at least 1998, has always been held by a dog. In 2008, Lucy Lou became the town’s first female mayor. Her campaign slogan: “the Bitch You Can Count On.”
Garrett Morgan’s Place. (38°12’16.8” N 84°15’06.5” W) Born to formerly enslaved sharecroppers in Paris, Bourbon County, Garrett Morgan (1877–1963) was educated in a two-room shack in Claysville, a section of Paris since renamed Garrett Morgan’s Place. He went on to invent the Morgan safety hood—a gas mask used by firefighters and during WWI—and the three-position traffic signal, or yellow light.
Mary Elliott Flanery’s House. (38°24’57.9” N 82°35’57.1” W) In 1921, Mary Elliott Flannery (1867–1933) of Catlettsburg, Boyd County, became the first woman elected to a state legislature south of the Mason-Dixon line. A journalist, suffragist, and advocate for equal rights for women, she championed the Shepard-Towner Maternity Act, which provided medical care to pregnant women and their children.
Simon Meiners
Communications & Research Specialist
Museum Shop: Natural Kentucky Pocket Guides
Natural Kentucky pocket guides sold in the Frazier’s Museum Shop and online. Credit: Frazier History Museum.
Explore the diverse beauty of Kentucky, from the Appalachian Mountains to the scenic Jackson Purchase. Jumpstart your exploration with our convenient folding pocket guides focused on natural Kentucky. These nifty laminated fold-out guides are available in Birds, Wildlife, Trees, and Wildflowers. Purchase them online or find them at the Museum Shop. Start your journey into the wonders of Kentucky today!
Every year, Louisville honors some of its most accomplished residents by hanging enormous banners with their images on buildings throughout the city. You’ve probably seen them yourself. Iconic Kentuckians such as Muhammad Ali and Diane Sawyer can be found around town alongside more recent additions like Jack Harlow and Jennifer Lawrence. This year’s honorees represent athletics, arts, governance, and medicine—and many of their stories can be found right here at the Frazier!
Dr. Allan Lansing, undated. Credit: Pearson’s Funeral Home.
Frazier corporate and community sales manager Stephen Yates as a child, c. 1969. Credit: Frazier History Museum.
Dr. Allan Lansing was a pioneering heart surgeon and fixture in the development of Louisville as a regional center for medicine. Here at the Frazier, though, we recognize him the most for saving the life of our own group sales manager, Stephen Yates. “If it were not for Dr. Lansing and his skills as a heart surgeon, yours truly would not be here today,” Stephen says. “I was fortunate enough to be one of the first children that Dr. Lansing performed open-heart surgery on in 1972 here in town. I never thought of his immense talent as a surgeon; I just knew, as a six-year-old, that he was the nice doctor who made me better. In my book, he was always my Hometown Hero, so I’m glad the rest of Louisville gets to find out what I’ve known for a long time!”
Static Major album art on display in the Entertaining Kentucky gallery in the Frazier’s Cool Kentucky exhibition. Credit: Frazier History Museum.
Stephen Ellis Garrett Jr., better known as Static Major, left his mark on the music industry by writing for and performing with some of the best-known R&B and hip hop artists of the past thirty years, including Jack Harlow, Drake, and Lil Wayne. His prolific career was cut tragically short in 2008 when the then-thirty-three-year-old passed away due to complications from a medical procedure.
The Hill Sisters, Mildred and Patty, may not be familiar to you by name, but you surely know their work. You’ve even performed their music yourself! These two teachers composed the lyrics and melody to the song “Happy Birthday to You,” which Guinness Records deemed the most performed song in the English language.
John Young Brown Jr. and his first wife Mrs. Eleanor Brown helped shape downtown Louisville by bringing Actor’s Theatre to their current location, funding the downtown YMCA, and briefly owning the American Basketball Association team the Kentucky Colonels, playing home games at the Louisville Gardens until 1970. John’s introduction to Harland Sanders in 1963, and his subsequent investment in his restaurant, led KFC to become the second largest restaurant chain in the world. As if that’s not enough, he also served as Governor of Kentucky from 1979 to 1983!
Rajon Rondo was born in Louisville and played point guard for the Kentucky Wildcats before beginning his highly decorated NBA career. Since 2006, he has played for the Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers, Cleveland Cavaliers, and other teams. He is a four-time NBA All-Star, two-time NBA Champion, and has earned more than a dozen season records for most assists, most steals, and most triple-doubles. He also gives back to his community by assisting underprivileged children through the Rajon Rondo Foundation.
Howard Schnellenberger also played for the Cats, just sixty years earlier and in a different sport. He is better known, of course, as the long-serving football coach at the University of Louisville where he took a team with a seven-year losing record on to win multiple bowl games and rise to the level of national prominence the team still enjoys today. He held other coaching positions with both collegiate and professional football teams, appeared in the 1970 M*A*S*H film, and was married to his wife Beverlee for more than sixty years before his passing in 2021.
Kent Klarer
Grant Manager & Writer
Frazier+ Video of the Week: Hill Sisters
Now the Frazier fits in your pocket! Curated by the museum’s education team, the mobile app Frazier+ provides engaging and educational Kentucky history content—free of charge. Users can explore the museum’s collection of videos, photos, and texts to either heighten their in-person experience or learn from the comfort of their couch or classroom. The free app is available for download for Android and iOS devices through the App Store and Google Play.—Simon Meiners, Communications & Research Specialist
Mildred and Patty Hill are most remembered for their immortal song “Happy Birthday to You.” But here at the Frazier, we’ve always contended that their gifts to the education world are even more valuable. Patty was one of America’s leading proponents for adopting kindergarten. Can you imagine what life would be like if she hadn’t succeeded at convincing folks of the value of an early education?
We feature the Hills, along with some important sites around Louisville, in this Frazier+ video.
Mick Sullivan
Curator of Guest Experience
Frazier’s Spirit of Kentucky® Bottle Hall Collection Grows to 340 Bottles
Hey y’all, I hope your 2024 is off to a great start! A great thing happened 20 years ago: the Frazier opened its doors! In 2018, we opened our Spirit of Kentucky® exhibition, which explores the history and importance of Bourbon in our state. One of the most eye-catching features of the exhibition is our Bottle Hall. As the official starting point of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail®, we want to prepare everyone with all of the knowledge we can on our native spirit. One of my duties at the Frazier is keeping bottles up to date and showcasing the many expressions produced by Kentucky distilleries.
Bottle Hall in the Frazier’s Spirit of Kentucky® exhibition, September 2018. Credit: Frazier History Museum.
I began my career at the Frazier as the collections and exhibits intern in January 2022. When I started, we had fewer than 250 bottles on display. That may sound like a lot, which it is, but we wanted to really show off more bottles to our visitors. As you are reading this article, we now have 340 bottles on display! Some of the bottles—like the Old Forester 1924, the newest expression in the Whisky Row Series—have just been released to the public. Others are beautifully painted, like the Bootleg Series by Heaven’s Door: the bottle design is based on paintings created by Bob Dylan! We are always adding new bottles to the hall. As a matter of fact, later today, we will add expressions from Dark Arts Whiskey House. You will be able to see more on Dark Arts next Monday on Sippin’ with Stephen.
A visitor from California photographs another visitor, Jose Victorino from the Philippines, posing with his Bourbon Number in the Bottle Hall, January 19, 2024. Credit: Frazier History Museum.
My goal is to have 500 bottles on display by the end of 2024. We always encourage our visitors to count the number of Bourbons they have tried. We even have a tennis score card in the room for you to show off on our Instagram and Facebook page. There are quite a few Bourbon nerds here at the Frazier. We always like a friendly challenge to determine who has the highest Bourbon number. I can safely say I am the clear winner at 289. Greg Schoenbaechler is second with 249, Andy Treinen is third with 232, and Stephen Yates is fourth with 222. I always joke that I never tell my wife my actual number, so I suppose she knows the truth now.
What about you? Are there any unicorns in the bottle hall? Do you have a favorite? Come down to the Frazier and join us in our friendly competition. Take a walk through the bottle hall and share your number on our Instagram and Facebook account. We can’t wait to see what you share.
Cheers!
Kevin Bradley
Stories in Mind Administrator
As implied by the saying “it don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that ring”—a turn of a phrase of the lyric from the famous jazz standard “It Don’t Mean A Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)”—a team and/or athlete’s legacy is determined by postseason success, particularly championships won. And in pro football—one of the more team-oriented sports—greatness is measured most of all by one simple metric: Super Bowl rings. Debate of who is the best springs eternal, but since 1966 the ultimate arbiter of who is the best of the best in the NFL has been the Super Bowl.
This year the Baltimore Ravens, led by former Louisville Cardinals quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson, appear to be the team to beat. After years of coming up short due to inexperience or hard luck, Jackson has the chance to go all the way. Out of all the signal callers under center this NFL season, Jackson is the only quarterback with ties to the Commonwealth who remains standing in the playoffs. But, before we speculate on his fortunes, let’s take a look at the other NFL quarterbacks with Kentucky ties who’ve made an impression this season.
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder (Third round, 2022 NFL Draft)
The Falcons intended Desmond Ridder to be the franchise QB-in-waiting in 2022. That year the former Cincinnati Bearcat and St. X tiger was to sit on the bench while NFL journeyman Marcus Mariota started for the Falcons. But once the Falcons organization realized that the Falcons offense was faltering with Mariota under center the switch was made to Ridder as the starter. In 2022, Ridder had a decent showing, finishing the season with 2 wins and 2 losses in 4 starts. Based on that year’s sample, Atlanta chose to ride or die with Ridder (even forgoing any dalliance with signing restricted free agent Lamar Jackson during the offseason).
Unfortunately, Ridder’s 2023 season did not go as well as the Falcons Organization had hoped. In thirteen starts, Ridder threw only 12 passing touchdowns, committed 12 interceptions, and fumbled the ball seven times. Ridder’s performance proved so unsatisfactory for the Falcons that they pulled Ridder out of the starting lineup and replaced by elder statesman Taylor Heinicke at quarterback.
For what it’s worth the Falcon’s finished with an identical W-L record as they did in 2022: 7 wins and 10 losses. This outcome was not welcomed by Falcons’ owner Arthur Blank, who promptly fired falcons Head Coach Arthur Smith, after the Falcons humiliating Week 18 loss to division rivals, The New Orleans Saints, 48-17.
With news of the Falcons seemingly imminent hire of NFL head coach Bill Belichick, it remains to be seen if Ridder will survive the regime change in Atlanta and get another crack as the starter.
Speaking of “regime change” … that brings me to our next hometown hero.
New England Patriots quarterback Bailey Zappe (Fourth Round, 2022 NFL Draft)
Bill Belichick would never have been a candidate for the Atlanta job if not for his precipitous demise in New England after Tom Brady’s departure.
Either loved and/or hated for a generation, the Pats were the epitome of a well-run, well-coached franchise; from 2000-2019 the Pats won Six Super Bowls, Nine Conference Championships, and 22 Division Titles, all under Belichick’s watch and with Tom Brady under center. But, after Brady’s departure, Belichick tried to install Cam Newton as a stop gap or “game manager,” if you will. But that experiment yielded suboptimal results for the Pats. They finished with a W-L record of 7-9 in 2020, missing the playoffs for the first time in 13 years.
In 2021, all indications were that Newton would remain the starter at QB, even though that year’s draft would find the Pats selecting a quarterback in the first round – traditionally a sign that indicates that starting quarterback’s days as a starter are numbered. The Pats ended up selecting Alabama QB Mac Jones for the 15th overall pick. True to form, Newton was released by the Patriots on the eve of the 2021 NFL regular season, while Jones was named as the starter.
That experiment did yield positive results, at first. With Jones as the starter the Pats went 10-7 in 2021 and made the playoffs. However, the Pats were demolished by the Buffalo Bills during the wild card round of the NFL Playoffs, losing to the Bills, 47-17. From that point on, the Patriots floundered as a franchise, going 8-9 in 2022, and 4-13 this season, both times missing the playoffs.
To make matters worse, Jones lost his confidence and regressed as a starting NFL QB. A Pro Bowler in 2021, Jones threw for 22 TDs and 13 Interceptions the year New England made the playoffs. But by 2022, those numbers flattened to 14 TDs and 11 Interceptions, and became even worse in 2023. Jones finished the season with 10 TDs versus 12 interceptions.
Even though the Pats were all but mathematically eliminated from making the playoffs, a change was still made at quarterback.
After doing fill-in duty during most of the season, former WKU quarterback Bailey Zappe (pronounced \ZAP-ee\) was named the starting quarterback for New England. For the most part, Zappe’s gameplay was not stellar. The Pats still stunk up the joint, losing 3 of their last four games. Nevertheless, Zappe proved to be more poised under center than Jones and was the orchestrator of one of the more notable upsets of the year. On Thursday, December 7, 2023 the 2 win Patriots upset the then 7-5 Pittsburgh Steelers, 21-18. Bailey Zappe completed 19 of 28 pass attempts, throwing for 3 touchdowns, and finishing with a stellar quarterback rating of 115.2. Not bad for a kid who was drafted in the fourth round from WKU.
Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis (Second Round, 2023 NFL Draft)
Will Levis only played for two seasons at the University of Kentucky (2021-2022) but, in that short period of time, became a living legend. In 2021, Levis -- along with playmakers like wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson and running back Chris Rodriguez, Jr. – had a banner year at Kentucky, passing for over 2800 yards and 24 touchdowns. The Wildcats finished the season with a record of 10 wins and 3 losses, marking only the fourth time in school history Kentucky ever won 10 games in a season. Levis was considered a big reason why the Cats were so successful. He also received acclaim from scouts as a future NFL draft prospect.
Yet, Levis lost some of his luster during his last year at Kentucky. Yes, he still delivered another beatdown of Louisville, but the offense was not as explosive as it was in 2021, scoring only 20.4 Points/game versus 32.3 PTS/game the year before, according to www.sports-reference.com. It didn’t help that Levis lost Robinson and Rodriguez to the pros. It didn’t help either that Levis played with a turf toe injury for much of the 2022 season at Kentucky, sitting out two games at Kentucky.
Still, in a business as competitive and cutthroat as the NFL, and an evaluation process as daunting and critical as the NFL draft itself, any decline in production and physical capability by a draft prospect will automatically raise concerns among NFL scouts and teams about that prospect’s value and potential or “draft ceiling.”
Levis was no exception. He could be the second coming of Josh Allen or the return of Tim Tebow. Thus, as the 2023 NFL draft approached there was much written about where Will Levis would land in the draft.
Some reports suggested that Levis would end up as a Top 10 selection, as high as the number 1 overall pick (Carolina Panthers) or as low as the fourth pick (Indianapolis Colts). Yet, journalists called those reports as bluffs, written on behalf of certain NFL teams that either wanted to fool their competitors into believing they would draft Levis that high or desired to entice other teams to move up in the draft via a trade to grab Levis themselves.
Regardless of the veracity of those reports, by draft night of April 27. 2023, no teams took the bait. No teams took Levis either.
To his chagrin, Levis was not drafted in the first round, let alone in the Top 10. Levis would have to wait until the following day to be selected in the 2023 NFL Draft. Levis ended up as the second selection of the 2nd round of the draft, when he was drafted by the Tennessee Titans. (For those keeping score, he was the 33rd overall pick.)
Draft analysts saw the selection as a savvy pick on the part of the Titans and their head coach Mike Vrabel. The conventional wisdom was that since Levis was NOT drafted in the Top 10, there would be no pressure at all on him to start immediately at QB for the Titans.
In addition, since Levis was not drafted at all in the first round, there would be no pressure on the coaching staff to start him during his rookie year, at all. Levis could sit out a year or two while starter Ryan Tannehill managed the team and handed the ball off to Titans Running Back Derek Henry.
But as the football gods would have it, Levis had to be developed ahead of schedule, whether the Titans and Vrabel were ready or not.
On October 15, 2023, near the midway point of the NFL season, 11-year NFL veteran Ryan Tannehill suffered a high ankle sprain while playing against the Baltimore Ravens. With the bye week (one customary “off” week scheduled for each NFL franchise during the season) looming the Titans took a chance on Levis as a replacement. Levis debut in the league was auspicious, to say the least.
On October 29 Will Levis was unleashed upon the lowly Atlanta Falcons. Levis’s stat line read like a fantasy owner’s dream: 19/29 pass completions, 238 yards, and four touchdowns. One of those TDs was a 61 yard bomb to wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins.
Levis availed himself so well of his opportunity that Mike Vrabel eventually named him the starter for the remainder of the year, even when Tannenhill became healthy. But, as is the norm, the football gods treated the Titans like the Old Testament figure of Job: they giveth and taketh away.
Levis was steady under center, before suffering an ankle injury himself during a Week 14 game at Houston. Ironically, Levis’s backup, Ryan Tannehill replaced Levis in the lineup.
The Titans would finish the season at 6-11 and head coach Mike Vrabel was fired by Titans management. However, it appears that Titans fans and management believe that Will Levis was not the reason the Titans were so mediocre. In fact, there is hope in Tennessee (and Kentucky) that the Titans have found their guy at the quarterback position.
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (First Round, 2018 NFL Draft)
For five years Lamar Jackson has been the man at Baltimore. He’s a 3-time Pro Bowler, an 2x All-Pro, and, more than likely, this season’s NFL MVP. He would join the upper echelon of NFL quarterbacks who have won the honor multiple times: Peyton Manning (5), Aaron Rodgers (4), Tom Brady (3), Johnny Unitas (3), Brett Favre (3), Kurt Warner (2), Joe Montana (2), Steve Young (2), and Patrick Mahomes (2).
Yet, like a cruel version of the children’s game “one of these is not like the others”, there is one honor that Jackson does not have in common with the rest of the quarterbacks on that list: a world championship. In fact, the postseason has been a lean time for Jackson and the Ravens. In four games, Jackson postseason record stands at 1 win and 3 losses. His TD/INT ratio is below average at 3TDs/5INTs. And Jackson did not play at all during the Ravens last playoff loss at Cincinnati. He has never advanced past the divisional round of the playoffs.
But this year feels different. For one thing, there is no longer the albatross of contract negotiations, which hung over Jackson’s head for two seasons. Also, unlike previous seasons, Jackson has stayed in the pocket and has been choosier about when to scramble out of it for extra yardage. Contrary to what a former GM implied, Jackson has played exceptionally well in the pocket. According to football analyst and NFL writer Ted Nguyen, Jackson ranks 8th in the league in passer rating this year when staying in the pocket.
Brian West’s mother holds up a “Lamarry Christmas” t-shirt Brian gifted her for Christmas, December 2023. Credit: Frazier History Museum.
Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, this year Jackson doesn’t need to carry the burden of the Ravens postseason success by himself. He has playmakers like rookie standout Tay Flowers and veteran Odell Beckham, Jr. at wide receiver. He also has the support of a defense that is the number one scoring defense in the league, and leads the league in sacks.
That defense embarrassed the #1 team in the NFC the San Francisco 49ers on Christmas Night 2023 and pasted the Miami Dolphins the week after that.
So, barring a surprise upset by the Houston Texans in the divisional round, this year’s Lombardy Trophy is the Baltimore Ravens award to hoist; this year’s Super Bowl Lamar Jackson’s game to finally win. I wish him and the Ravens nothing but the best of luck in doing both.
Brian West
Teaching Artist
20th Anniversary Photo: Gridiron Glory, 2014
Interior of Gridiron Glory at the Frazier, April 2014. Credit: Frazier History Museum.
Did you know the Frazier borrowed Paul Hornung’s Heisman Trophy from the Green Bay Packers back in 2020? As a Cheesehead, I geeked out over that loan! However, the museum’s ties to the NFL predate my tenure. From April 5 to August 31, 2014, the Frazier hosted Gridiron Glory: the Best of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, a 5,000-square-foot traveling exhibition made available by the NFL’s Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Simon Meiners
Communications & Research Specialist
In Case You Missed It: Kentucky Quilts and Quiltmakers (Jan. 14)
From left, Rachel Platt, Linda LaPinta, “Sunshine Joe” Mallard, and MJ Kinman address the audience during the Frazier’s Kentucky Quilts and Quiltmakers program, January 14, 2024. Credit: Frazier History Museum.
What a crowd we had for our recent program Kentucky Quilts and Quiltmakers. Quilt artists are a passionate bunch and they came out despite our frigid temperatures. They were treated to author Linda LaPinta and two gifted quilt artists, “Sunshine Joe” Mallard and MJ Kinman.
Both Joe and MJ brought in some of their amazing works, and the crowd had the good fortune of seeing them up close and having one-on-one time with both artists. Our collections manager Tish Boyer also brought out quilts from our collection and loved her time with our guests.
If you weren’t able to make it to the program, we did record it. You can view it below.
Hope to see you soon at another Frazier program.
Rachel Platt
VP of Mission
Bridging the Divide
Passing of Two Giants: J. Michael Brown and Ben Richmond
Our city and our state have lost two giants in just a matter of days. The loss is incalculable.
Both J. Michael Brown and Ben Richmond gave their lives to public service.
J. Michael Brown, 2013. Credit: J. Michael Brown.
Ben Richmond, undated. Credit: Pat McDonogh, Courier Journal.
J. Michael Brown served as a former Jefferson County District Judge and a law director for the city of Louisville. He was part of both Steve and Andy Beshear’s administrations. And most recently he was chief of staff at Simmons College. His service also extended to the military as part of the US Army’s Eighty-Second Airborne Division.
Brown is being remembered for his integrity, character, and vision.
We are also saying goodbye to Ben Richmond, who served twenty-eight years as president of the Louisville Urban League. So many have praised Richmond for his social activism and being an advocate for economic equality. He has been called a titan in the civil rights movement. A colleague and friend of his said he was quiet but effective.
Thank you for your service. May we all strive to keep your memory alive with service to others and by being champions for everything that is fair and right.
Rachel Platt
VP of Mission
Secretary of State Conducts Student Essay Contest on Political Divide
Each year, the Kentucky Secretary of State’s office conducts a statewide essay contest for students in grades nine through twelve. This year’s essay prompt caught my attention: “What can students do to address the mutual distrust of people of opposing political parties?”
It is quite a political divide in our country, and I for one am hoping the students, our future, will have some answers and solutions.
I can’t wait to read what they write.
There is also a slogan contest with the following prompt: “Political polarization is at a high. Suggest a slogan to promote respectful discourse in the political arena.”
The deadline to enter is the end of January. Click here to learn more.
Rachel Platt
VP of Mission
