Luke Pryor Blackburn

Biography

Luke Pryor Blackburn was born in 1816 in Kentucky and trained as a physician, gaining recognition for his willingness to confront epidemics while serving in Nashville and abroad.

When elected governor in 1879 he applied his medical knowledge to work for prison reform, public health, and the healing of Civil War wounds, retiring to Frankfort after a life dedicated to the commonwealth until his death in 1887.