One thing you didn’t know about…SE2 Associate Jill Hamilton

We knew that Jill was from Kentucky but we didn’t know that she was borderline Kentucky royalty. As the pictured certificate shows, Jill was commissioned a Kentucky Colonel in August of 2007 by Gov. Ernie Fletcher (who lost his re-election bid that year after a pesky indictment and ensuing political controversy).

But before that defeat, Gov. Ernie Fletcher conferred upon the “Honorable Jill Gibson Hamilton” (apparently, the word “honorable” is used fairly loosely in that state) all the “rights privileges and responsibilities” that come with her commission as a Kentucky Colonel.

This raises three pressing questions?

• What is a Kentucky Colonel?
• Is there a uniform?
• Was Colonel Sanders, the legendary founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken, a Kentucky Colonel?
  

Let’s address these in order.

The Honorable Order of the Kentucky Colonels has provided this helpful description (we are not making this up): “Many people think of the Kentucky Colonels as a group of people that enjoys the good life, has an enviable social calendar and, during Kentucky Derby week, consumes mint juleps as if they were iced tea. Well, that’s us!” (Jill refused to provide any photos of her wearing a really big hat.)

But it adds, “Being a Kentucky Colonel is much more than having an impressive certificate to hang on the wall.” (Are you reading this, Jill?)

Regarding the uniform, we were quite impressed with this historical depiction (below). Our first question, of course, was what product this guy used to get his hair to stand up like that.
Sadly, Jill has not yet joined the ranks of Famous Colonels. Despite this glaring omission, however, it is an otherwise impressive list that includes Betty White, Billy Ray Cyrus, Jeff Foxworthy, three Judds, Pope John Paul II and – of course – Harland “Colonel” Sanders.

We promise to treat you more respectfully in the future, Jill (so long as you keep serving us the mint juleps).

Author: Eric Anderson