Who should join Elvis and Muhammad Ali as Kentucky Colonels?

FRANKFORT, Ky. – Elvis Presley was a “Kentucky Colonel.” So is Bill Clinton, and Muhammad Ali. With at least 85,000 other people enjoying the title, Kentucky’s new Republican governor wants to review what it takes to receive the highest honour he can bestow.

Gov. Matt Bevin is “not issuing colonels right now” but will do so again soon, once he makes sure they still mean something, his spokeswoman Jessica Ditto said.

“That is why it is under review, to make sure the requirements and the application give it significance,” she said.

The title of Kentucky Colonel dates back to the early 19th century, when Kentucky had a volunteer state militia that included officers commissioned as colonels. When the militia disbanded, Gov. Isaac Shelby hired one of its former officers to work on his staff, giving him the rank and title of colonel.

The title soon became ceremonial, often bestowed to honour a person’s good deeds or service. Through the years, it has been commissioned to celebrities (Fred Astaire, Whoopi Goldberg), athletes (Tiger Woods, Richard Petty), presidents (Lyndon Johnson, Ronald Reagan) and, of course, Colonel Harland Sanders of Kentucky Fried Chicken fame.

Only the governor can name a Kentucky Colonel, and he can award it for any reason. The only requirement is a recommendation from another Kentucky Colonel. Recipients are asked to join and donate money to the Honourable Order of the Kentucky Colonels, a non-profit that awards scholarships and grants. The group plans to give away about $1.5 million this year.

Lynn Ashton, the group’s executive director, said she is not aware that any other governor has reviewed the process.

“We’re very happy to work with the governor in taking a look at the application and the requirements that it takes,” she said.